bathymetry – Office of Coast Survey

March 28, 2025

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping announces progress on mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters

The federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping recently released the sixth annual report on progress made in mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters. To safeguard our national security and economic prosperity, ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization is foundational to maritime commerce, domestic energy and seafood production, tourism and recreation, and understanding of our natural resources, among other interests. The 2020 National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (NOMEC) makes comprehensive ocean mapping a priority for the coming decade. The Unmapped U.S. Waters report tracks progress toward these important goals.

March 24, 2025March 31, 2025

Ancient river systems, glacial grooves, and steep cliffs discovered near Cape Fear, North Carolina

An image of NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler.

A View into the History of the Cape Fear Region–Tens of Thousands of Years into the Past

By Cmdr. William Winner

Over the spring and summer of 2024, NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler surveyed an area southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. This area is unique to the East Coast of the United States—whereas most of the East Coast’s seabed is sandy and has large areas of sand waves, this area does not have as much deep sand cover and instead features exposed underlying bedrock.

February 11, 2025

NOAA’s 2025 hydrographic survey season is gearing up and will be underway soon

An image showing a red uncrewed surface vessel and NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson on Lake Erie in the vicinity of Cleveland, Ohio

The winter months represent an end to NOAA’s active survey season. During this period, hydrographic survey ships, navigation response team survey vessels, and contractor teams and vessels undergo maintenance and repair in anticipation of the upcoming survey season. NOAA’s 2025 survey season will begin soon as planned survey projects go through the planning and development process and begin to filter to the forefront of each field party’s focus. The ships and survey vessels collect bathymetric data (i.e. map the seafloor) to support nautical charting, modeling, and research, but also collect other environmental data to support a variety of ecosystem sciences. NOAA considers hydrographic survey requests from stakeholders such as marine pilots, local port authorities, the Coast Guard, and the boating community, and also considers other hydrographic and NOAA science priorities in determining where to survey and when. Visit our “living” ArcGIS StoryMap to find out more about our mapping projects and if a hydrographic vessel will be in your area this year!

November 13, 2024

Interagency science team collects ocean and weather data in the Arctic aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy

An image showing the side of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy looking towards her stern as she break a path through icy waters with the sun setting in the background.

In October through early November 2024, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, the University of New Hampshire, U.S. National Science Foundation, and U.S. Coast Guard partnered to complete a coordinated mapping mission along the north slope of Alaska aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy. Advancing the 2020 National Strategy on Ocean Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, the mission acquired depth data in uncharted waters along the Coast Guard-proposed Arctic shipping route, deployed a series of oceanographic buoys, and provided at sea training on interdisciplinary scientific expeditions for junior scientists. The mission capitalized on a rare opportunity to maximize data observations within a data-starved region in support of Seascape Alaska, a regional mapping campaign.

Continue reading “Interagency science team collects ocean and weather data in the Arctic aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy”

October 3, 2024December 3, 2024

NOAA’s nowCOAST improves BlueTopo access

A screen capture of the BlueTopo data layer displayed in NOAA's nowCOAST showing the entrance to Long Island Sound.

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey produces and maintains several types of data models and products, from operational forecast systems to nautical charts. One of these models comes from the office’s National Bathymetric Source, or NBS, program which creates and maintains high-resolution bathymetry composed of the best available data. Bathymetry is a term that refers to the depths and shapes of underwater terrain and is a visualization of the “beds” or “floors” of water bodies, including the ocean, rivers, streams, and lakes. This data model is available to the public in a product called BlueTopo.

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August 20, 2024August 20, 2024

Data dissemination web interface supports navigation

Waves on the sea beach on a cloudy rainy day

Imagine navigating a vessel along the coast and planning the approach to your destination, whether that be a local marina or large vessel berth in a harbor. What factors affecting the movement of the vessel should you be aware of once underway and in transit through the entrance and into the port? These may include observations on the present and forecasted weather, water current speed and direction, water depths and tidal direction, and any anomalies or warnings that may exist. Knowing what these factors are will assist you in preparing your vessel for safe passage to the destination.

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April 29, 2024April 29, 2024

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping announces the release of the Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol

A decorative banner image showing a colorful digital terrain model, remotely operated vehicle and corals.

The members of the federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IWG-OCM) are thrilled to announce the release of the first Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol (SOMP)! The SOMP is a standardized technical protocol for acquisition, processing, and archiving of ocean and coastal mapping data. It was developed in support of National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (NOMEC) goals and is built from existing standards and best practices developed by the ocean and coastal mapping community.

April 11, 2024April 11, 2024

Technical specifications for submitting hydrographic survey data get an overhaul

The Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables document contains the technical specifications for hydrographic survey data submitted to the Office of Coast Survey. It represents NOAA’s implementation of the International Hydrographic Organization standards for hydrographic survey and product specifications. Coast Survey is proud to announce the launch of the new Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables for 2024, the largest overhaul of the document in more than 20 years.

April 2, 2024March 26, 2025

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping announces progress on mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters

An image of high resolution bathymetry using various colors to represent seafloor elevation.

The federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping recently released the fifth annual report on progress made in mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters. Knowledge of the depth, shape, and composition of the seafloor has far-reaching benefits, including safer navigation, hazard mitigation for coastal resilience, preservation of marine habitats and heritage, and a deeper understanding of natural resources for sustainable ocean economies. The 2020 National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (NOMEC) makes comprehensive ocean mapping a priority for the coming decade. The Unmapped U.S. Waters report tracks progress toward these important goals.

March 27, 2024March 27, 2024

NOAA’s 2024 hydrographic survey season is underway

An image of survey vessel operating near Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2024 hydrographic survey season is ramping up and will be in full swing before too long. For the past few months, NOAA hydrographic survey ships, navigation response teams, and contractors have been diligently preparing for the upcoming field season. The ships and survey vessels collect bathymetric data to support nautical charting, modeling, and research, but also collect other environmental data to support a variety of ecosystem sciences. NOAA considers hydrographic survey requests from stakeholders such as marine pilots, local port authorities, the Coast Guard, and the boating community, and also considers other hydrographic and NOAA science priorities in determining where to survey and when. Visit our “living” ArcGIS StoryMap to find out more about our mapping projects and if a hydrographic vessel will be in your area this year!