First Women in Hydrography event focuses on mentoring
The Women in Hydrography event raised awareness of the
unique challenges women face in the hydrography industry
and the power of mentoring to further women's careers.
The
inaugural gathering of Women in Hydrography was held during the Canadian Hydrographic Conference and National Surveyors Conference (CHC-NSC) in Victoria, Canada. Forty women came together to establish a network of support and mentoring. The gathering was jointly sponsored the Canadian Hydrographic Association (CHA) and the Hydrographic Society of America (THSOA), represented by board members Melissa Wood and
Starla Robinson, Hydrographic Survey Division. Future events hosted by CHA and THSOA are planned for U.S. Hydro 2019 in Mississippi, and at CHC 2020 in Canada. For more information contact
Starla.Robinson@noaa.gov.
Students learn about navigation response and the maritime industry in Houston
Participation in the Maritime & Logistics Youth Expo provided
increased awareness of NOAA's navigation response
to students.
On April 20,
Alan Bunn, western Gulf coast navigation manager, and NOAA's navigation response team homeported in Galveston, including
Dan Jacobs,
Erin Diurba, and
Wess Rowland, participated in the Maritime & Logistics Youth Expo 2018 at the San Jacinto College Maritime Campus. The navigation response team’s vessel was on site as a backdrop to the NOAA display table. The team distributed informational materials and displayed computer-generated survey efforts on screen,This annual event educates local youth on the many facets and benefits of employment in the maritime and logistics industry. Approximately 450 high school and middle school students attended. For more information contact
Alan.Bunn@noaa.gov.
IHO meeting in Singapore brings together 21 member states to discuss S-100 standards
Attendees of the third meeting of the IHO S-100 Working
Group.
The International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO)
S-100 Working Group held their third meeting April 10-13 in Singapore, chaired by
Julia Powell, deputy chief of the Coast Survey Development Lab (CSDL). More than 60 delegates representing 21 member states and industry partners attended the meeting. At the meeting, the S-100 Working Group finalized proposals for Edition 4.0.0 of S-100, which is the IHO's framework standard for modeling hydrographic and marine information. The working group also agreed on development tracks for a variety of product specifications developed against the S-100 framework, including the publication of S-101 (the new electronic navigation chart specification), S-102 (bathymetric data for navigation systems) and S-121 (maritime limits and boundaries). The working group anticipates that these will be released in December 2018 in conjunction with S-100 Edition 4.0.0. For more information contact
Julia.Powell@noaa.gov.
Coast Survey hosts Australian National Hydrographer
Capt. Robert Woodham (RAN), Commodore Fiona Freeman
(RAN), Rear Adm. Shep Smith, and Capt. Elizabeth Kretovic.
Rear Adm. Shep Smith hosted Commodore Fiona Freeman on April 24 for discussions centered on hydrography and hydrographic programs, ocean data, and emerging technologies. Commodore Freeman was recently appointed head of the Australian Hydrographic Service with the retirement of Commodore Brett Brace earlier this year. Of particular note, the group spoke about operational considerations and performance measurement, as well as ongoing revisions for the IHO Strategic Plan through the IHO Council, chaired by Rear Adm. Smith. Thank you to those who participated from Coast Survey, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, and the National Geodetic Survey for what was a productive afternoon of briefs and discussions. For more information contact
Jonathan.Justi@noaa.gov.
Grid system overlays help with safe anchorage in Port of New York-New Jersey
A grid overlay of anchorage grounds in the updated Port of
New York-New Jersey ENCs.
NOAA Coast Survey recently released updates for two NOAA electronic navigational charts (
NOAA ENC®) in the Port of New York-New Jersey (
US5NY19M and
US5NY1CM), which added a permanent grid system overlay to anchorages in Bay Ridge, Graves End, and Stapleton. Coast Survey performed the update at the request of the Harbor Operations Steering Committee and collaborated with the Sandy Hook Pilots Association and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector New York Vessel Traffic Services (VTS). The overlays, created by the Sandy Hook Pilots, consist of parallel and vertical lines that are labeled and charted over the anchorage grounds. The VTS has adopted this grid system overlay and uses it to assign specific anchorage locations for ship pilots and captains of tug and barge combinations. Special thanks to Coast Survey’s
Guillaume Auclert,
Patrick Chauvet,
Sean Legeer,
John Macek,
Diane Melancon,
Steve Soherr,
Lt. Vejar, and
Allison Wittrock. For more information contact
Allison.Wittrock@noaa.gov.
Coast Survey leads International Automated Processing Workshop
Coast Survey led an online workshop on automated
hydrographic processing.
On April 4, Coast Survey’s Hydrographic Systems Technology Branch (HSTB) led an online workshop highlighting automated processing as a tool for increasing efficiency, building specific automation tasks and tools, and advancing collaboration efforts between NOAA and other hydrographic agencies. Attendees included U.S., Canadian, Belgian, Norwegian, French, and British hydrographic organizations. The group discussed leveraging off-the-shelf and in-house software such as CARIS and
Pydro. Several organizations, including NOAA, demonstrated current applications in hopes of mutual benefit and growth. Automating work flows is one of the central pillars of the
NOAA Autonomous Systems Strategy - the robot boats of the future will need robot processors to handle their data. For more information contact
John.Doroba@noaa.gov.
NOAA Ships
NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler - Alongside Curtis Bay Coast Guard Base south of Baltimore for dockside repair period.
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson - In Chesapeake Bay conducting hydrographic systems readiness review (HSRR) activities and is scheduled to sail to their Galveston project area on April 30.
NOAA Ship Fairweather - In transit to their first project in southeast Alaska. Acquisition is scheduled to begin on April 25.
NOAA Ship Rainier - In Lake Washington, Seattle, pending repairs.
Navigation Response Teams
All teams are conducting HSRR for the field season.
NRT 1 - Team is in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, and will be fully staffed once hiring and officer rotation is complete. Boat is survey and response ready.
NRT 2 - Team is in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Boat is survey and response ready.
NRT 3 - Team will be fully staffed once hiring and officer rotation is complete. Boat was cross decked over the last two weeks and is now survey and response ready.
NRT 4 - Team is in Galveston, Texas. Boat is survey and response ready.
NRT 5 - Team is assisting NRT 1 with HSRR and training. Boat is survey and response ready.
Bay Hydro II - Bay Hydro II is survey and response ready.
Contractor Operations
Leidos - Demobbed, acquisition complete.
Oceaneering - Demobbed, acquisition complete.
David Evans and Associates - Demobbed, acquisition complete.
