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NOAA navigation response team responds after ferry strikes submerged object

By Lt. j.g. Dylan Kosten

On November 27, 2017, a New York City ferry departing from Pier 11 in the East River struck an underwater pylon, stranding over 100 passengers. The pylon was most likely from the remains of an old pier demolished several years earlier. At the request of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), NOAA’s navigation response team 5 (NRT 5), homeported in New London, Connecticut, assisted in the investigation.

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NOAA Corps officers play important role in hydrography at NOAA

ENS Michelle Levano helps guide a launch back to NOAA Ship Rainier during a hydrographic surveying project in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, California.

By Nick Perugini

In 2017, we celebrated the NOAA Corps Centennial, marking 100 years of valued service to the nation. Today’s NOAA Corps officers play an important role in the Office of Coast Survey. Officers serve as field hydrographers, technical experts, and managers throughout the charting organization. There is a distinct career path for NOAA Corps officers in Coast Survey that provides the opportunity to develop technical expertise in hydrography and at the same time, advance in rank in the NOAA Corps.

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NOAA Office of Coast Survey wraps up a busy 2017 hurricane season

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was powerful, with the strongest storms occurring consecutively from late August to early October. The sequential magnitude of four hurricanes in particular—Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate—made response efforts challenging for NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. Coast Survey summarized this season’s response efforts along with the efforts of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (operated by NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations) in the following story map.

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NOAA completes multi-year ocean mapping project off the Olympic Coast

In September 2017, NOAA’s Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping Program completed a multi-year ocean mapping project off the coast of Washington in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. This project grew out of a seafloor mapping prioritization exercise led by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science on behalf of the State of Washington in May 2015. The prioritization exercise integrated the priorities of coastal stakeholders representing numerous federal and state (Oregon and Washington) agencies, coastal treaty tribes, and academic institutions to determine where to concentrate future survey efforts. One identified priority was the need for a better understanding of the bathymetry and habitats of Washington’s submarine canyons, particularly three offshore areas in need of enhanced data collection efforts. Continue reading “NOAA completes multi-year ocean mapping project off the Olympic Coast”

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Penobscot Bay survey focus of NOAA stakeholder meetings in Maine

Mark Kontio, Maine staff assistant for Congressman Bruce Poliquin, Lt. David Vejar, northeast navigation manager, Chris Rector, regional representative for Senator Angus King, Rear Adm. Shep Smith, director of Office of Coast Survey, at the stakeholder meeting in Maine.

By Lt. David Vejar

Recently, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey hosted two stakeholder events in Belfast, Maine, to engage the local community on various NOAA products and updates in the region. Originally from Belfast himself, Rear Adm. Smith, director of the Office of Coast Survey, provided a warm introduction to both events. Dean Moyles, of Fugro, a NOAA hydrographic contractor, presented a summary of the hydrographic survey work being performed in Penobscot Bay. Lt. David Vejar, NOAA northeast navigation manager, highlighted various products and services, including how to access NOAA charts and data, the upcoming Gulf of Maine Operation Forecast System, nowCOAST, and various planning tools such as SeaSketch and Northeast Data Portal. Allison Wittrock, from Marine Charts Division, presented the National Charting Plan with a focus on how it will provide great benefit to stakeholders.

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Coast Survey concludes Hurricane Maria response in Puerto Rico and USVI

Poster of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson's response efforts following Hurricane Maria.

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson spent the last three weeks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands surveying ports and bays in response to Hurricane Maria. Over the three week period, the crew surveyed 13 areas and no fewer than 18 individual port facilities, as well as conducted emergency repairs to three tide and weather stations. PS Doug Wood from Coast Survey’s Hydrographic Surveys Division and Cmdr. Chris van Westendorp, commanding officer of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, compiled a poster highlighting all of the areas surveyed.

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