Coast Survey Biweekly Newsletter

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Julia Powell

Julia Powell

May 27, 2020

Greetings Coast Survey,

I would like to thank Rear Adm. Shep Smith for providing me with this opportunity to introduce myself as the chief of the Navigation Services Division (NSD). Many of you already may know me from my previous positions within the Coast Survey Development Lab (CSDL) and the Marine Chart Division (MCD), and I’m excited to take over the helm from Capt. Chris van Westendorp.

One of the questions that I have been asked as I transition to NSD is: “What are my priorities for NSD?,” and I can honestly say that I only have two. First, get to know the people. Our workforce is the heart of Coast Survey and as funding may come and go, we always rise up to the challenges that are presented. The second is get to know the program. While I have interacted with NSD throughout my career (I have even been here long enough to remember before there was an NSD), I understand that I need to get to know the program. From the navigation managers, to nautical pubs, to navigation response. I want to understand the things that we do well and what we can do better.

NSD has a broad and diverse portfolio - from customer outreach and stakeholder engagement, producing nautical publications, and navigation response. As part of my transition to NSD, the Precision Navigation program and its dissemination will have a permanent home for operations. The team has been making great strides in developing an operational prototype and in coming to NSD it will only make the division stronger as the premier service provider for NOAA navigation products, services, and response.

On another note, I’m reminded that we are also entering the start of hurricane season and while our preparations this year have been vastly different, NSD has continued to maintain mission readiness for response, and I’m confident that we will be ready and able to serve the nation in the event of a another active hurricane season.

Lastly, I would like to thank Chris for his leadership in NSD and continue to build upon the great things the division has accomplished and look forward to meeting with everyone virtually over the next month.

Thanks and stay safe,

Julia Powell
Chief, Navigation Services Division

On May 20, Rear Adm. Shep Smith joined the executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the project director of Seabed 2030 in a virtual symposium hosted by the Marine Technology Society on “Industry Role in Seabed 2030.” The virtual symposium introduced the global Seabed 2030 project and its role within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The speakers all emphasized the need to make existing mapping data available for this project and the importance of innovating technology to accelerate seabed mapping. Smith shared that as of January 2020, 54% of U.S. Coastal, Ocean and Great Lakes waters are still unmapped and he highlighted some of the U.S. strategies for filling those gaps. Smith also identified some of the emerging technologies the U.S. hopes will drive efficiency and reduce costs. There will be a follow up virtual conference hosted by Craig McLean, acting NOAA chief scientist, on June 11 with additional speakers such as Dr. Rick Spinrad president of the Marine Technology Society, and Dr. Mathias Jonas, secretary general of the International Hydrographic Organization. Register here. For more information contact Kristen.Crossett@noaa.gov.

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