1. WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY

2. WHAT IS HYDROGRAPHY
Hydrography is the science of measuring and depicting those parameters that are necessary to describe
the precise nature and configuration of the sea-bed
its geographical relationship to the landmass
the characteristics and dynamics of the sea.
The parameters encompass bathymetry, geology, geophysics, tides, currents, waves, and certain other physical properties of sea water
Hydrographic surveying is the art of collecting hydrographic data utilizing a skillful blend of systems and field methodologies. Not something which can be learned in a classroom!
(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

3. THREE ASPECTS
Coastal hydrography is concerned with the development of ports and harbours, coastal erosion problems, the utilization of harbour and coastal conservation services and, especially, the safety of navigation in coastal waters.
Off-shore hydrography is concerned with (a) the provision of hydrographic data as an extension of the coastal zone normally encompassing the continental shelf, (b) the development of mineral deposits, including hydrocarbons, and (c) provision of data for fisheries management.
Oceanic hydrography is concerned with the acquisition of hydrographic data in the deep ocean areas for the depiction of sea-floor geomorphology.
(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

4. 2001 New Definition of Hydrography
Hydrography is the total set of spatial data and information, and the applied science of its acquisition, maintaining and processing, necessary to describe the topographical, physical and dynamical nature of the hydrosphere and its borders to the solid earth, and the associated facilities and structures.
Task: data acquisition (but not just bathymetry)
Purpose: distributing information (for informed decision making), rather than constructing products.
Horst Hecht, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (Bundesamt für Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie), May 2001:
(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

5. Data acquisition Echo Geophysical sounding measurements Coast
Water level
measurements
Shore
control
Coast
lining
Positioning
Sweep
coverage
(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

6. Depth measurement types
(USM and UNB Intro to Hydrography, GGE1001)

7. NOAA Hydrographic Fleet
RAINIER Seattle, WA 1968
S/V BAY HYDROGRAPHER Solomons, MD
FAIRWEATHER Ketchikan, AK 1968, (2004)
NRT’s – 6 teams
Nationwide
THOMAS JEFFERSON Norfolk, VA (1992)
NOAA’s Ocean Service

8. A Brief History of NOAA Hydrography
Ferdinand Hassler appointed first superintendent of the Survey of the Coast in 1816, when first survey work began. (First soundings were not collected until 1834!).
During the Civil War, all CS resources used to support the war effort (earliest roots of NOAA Corps….commissioned officers needed to lead field parties because survey parties were attached to various Army and Navy commands. All Navy officers were used in the war effort, so officer status was given to civilians who were leading survey parties.).

9. A Brief History of NOAA Hydrography
In 1917 (during WWI), the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey commissioned officer corps was created as Army and Navy officers were used in the war effort.
WWII: USC&GS used to survey South Pacific Islands in advance of Marine landings, etc (hostile fire).
In 1966, USC&GS was assimilated into a new agency called ESSA, along with the National Weather Bureau.
In 1970, ESSA was combined with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Environmental Data Service, National Satellite Center, and Research Libraries, to create NOAA. USC&GS became the National Ocean Service.
1982: Office of Charting and Geodetic Services : U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey : Office of Coast Survey.

10. Hydrographic Data Types
Bathymetry : “measure of the deep,” data provides depth contours of the bottom surface.
“X,Y” = positioning data from Global Positioning System (GPS)
“Z” = sounding data from echosounder. Measures depth of water by time it takes for sound to transmit and return to transducer.
Time = data used to correct for water level (tide) at time of data collection
Features: data points, lines, and areas acquired to delineate natural and man-made charted features.

11. Why Hydrography is Important

12. SAFE NAVIGATION National Spatial Reference System Nautical Charts
NOAA’s direct statutory authority to conduct the navigation services programs is derived from the Coast & Geodetic Survey Act of 1947, as clarified through the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and amended in 2002.
Tides and Currents
Hydrographic Surveys
Research and Development
Models and New Technologies

13. NOAA’s Charting Responsibility

14. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

15. Historical Perspective
98% by tonnage of all U.S. commerce
45% by value (about $500 billion)
50% is hazardous materials

16. Ships now are limited by height, draft, and width of channel.
Size of vessels
This is what the new teu vessels will look like in our Back Channel
Ships now are limited by height, draft, and width of channel.

17. Bigger, Taller, Longer Ships
This is the 7000 TEU class now calling.

18. Homeland Security
The Nations ability to quickly respond to an intelligence report that a mine has been laid on the bottom of a major U.S. harbor is critical to the continuous flow of maritime commerce.
If a threat condition occurred, the Navy will use the survey data as a baseline of pre-existing objects so they can utilize their mine counter-measure assets more effectively to determine if a mine has been placed on the seafloor.

19. Underwater Port Security
NOAA Hydrographic Ships and Navigation Response Teams have the specialized capability to collect high resolution imagery of shipping channels.
The Oceanographer of the Navy requested NOAA to provide side scan sonar imagery of shipping channels and harbors to NAVO.
NOAA collected data at 34 strategic commercial ports.
NAVO collected data at 14 military ports.
NAVO to process and store data.
Klein 5000
Side Scan Sonar
Brief history of Hydro Surveys entry into the HLS surveys.
Meet with USCG, Navy, USACE, and other personnel shortly after 9/11.
Received request letter from the Oceanographer of the Navy to collect data for NAVO in strategic commercial ports.
Redirected funding to purchase optimal sensors for the mission.
Redirected resources from the hydro survey schedule to perform these surveys at 36 major ports.
NAVO ships would concentrate on strategic military ports.
Detailed Side Scan Sonar Imagery

20. ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSES

21. Critical Areas and Priorities
Defined by apparent risk of incident due to:
Volume, density of traffic, and UKC in relation to bottom type
Age/adequacy of surveys
Petroleum or HAZMAT transport through region
Requests from maritime interests; i.e. USCG, Pilots’ Associations, Port Authorities, etc.
Approximately 30,000 SNM critical area remaining nationwide
NOAA, through ships and contractors, survey approximately SNM/year with existing resources and funding levels

22. NOAA Hydrographic Fleet
RAINIER Seattle, WA (1968)
S/V BAY
HYDROGRAPHER
Solomons, MD
FAIRWEATHER Ketchikan, AK 1968, (2004)
NRT’s – 6 teams
Nationwide
THOMAS JEFFERSON Norfolk, VA (1992)
NOAA’s Ocean Service

23. Other Hydro-capable NOAA vessels
GLORIA MICHELLE
NANCY FOSTER
OSCAR DYSON
Add the Explorer
HENRY BIGELOW
RONALD BROWN
HI’IALAKAI
NOAA’s Ocean Service

24. SIDE-SCAN SONAR

25. Shallow Water Multibeam
< TABLE>

26. Phase Differencing Bathymetric Sonar
Benthos C3D
GeoSwath
Klein 5410

27. Bottom Coverage & Vintage
by Survey Method
Leadline
Single Beam
Multi Beam
Pre
Present

28. NOAA’s Navigation Services: Nautical Charting
Annual Coast Pilot & Weekly Chart Updates
1000 Paper Charts and Raster Nautical Charts
998 Print-on-Demand
380 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) posted on the web
6 Navigation Response Teams
Additional teams planned
[Need help with good statement(s) that wraps it all together]
What’s New:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) releases new Chart Corrections website:
NOS Office of Coast Survey released a new website in June enabling mariners to call up a nautical chart by number or location and access all of the Notice to Mariners corrections since the latest chart edition was printed. This database includes Coast Guard, NIMA and Army Corps of Engineers data, as well as yet-unpublished NOAA updates. The site provides advance notification on chart updates affecting hazards to navigation and other information considered essential for safe navigation, e.g. channel conditions, bridge and cable clearances, and regulatory changes that NOAA has identified and forwarded for publication by both the Coast Guard and NIMA. These compiled corrections will save mariners time in perusing archived Notice to Mariners publications in order to properly update their charts.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works internationally to build mapping and charting capacity:
In 2003, NOS Office of Coast Survey was very active in International Hydrographic Organization efforts to help build regional capacity for hydrographic surveying and nautical chart production. Currently the U.S. is working on developing a pilot project for safety of marine navigation in the Gulf of Honduras with the MesoAmerican-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission. The U.S. and Mexico also met this year to differences in datums between the U.S. and Mexico, and a number of areas of possible collaboration and personnel exchanges.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Offers New Custom Charts with Print-on-Demand:
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey Print-on-Demand capability now allows for the customization of nautical charts. In response to requests by professional mariners and recreational boaters, NOAA now offers an option to remove the LORAN-C grid lines from approximately 260 charts. LORAN-C is an older method of determining a ship’s position, but is no longer the preferred method of navigating due to accurate Global Positioning System data. Removing the grid lines enhances safety by permitting the mariner to see the remaining chart features more clearly.

29. NOAA’s Navigation Services: Navigation Response Teams
Electronic Navigation Charts
The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (C-COM)/ Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC) is a recently established University of New Hampshire program aimed at creating a national center for expertise in ocean mapping and hydrographic sciences. Guided by a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the JHC operates in partnership with NOAA's National Ocean Service.
NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC®) support all types of marine navigation by providing the official database for electronic charting systems (ECS), including the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). NOAA ENC®s support real-time navigation as well as the collision and grounding avoidance needs of the mariner, and accommodate a real-time tide and current display capability that is essential for large vessel navigation. NOAA ENC®s also provide fully integrated vector base maps for use in geographic information systems (GIS) that are used for coastal management or other purposes. The NOAA ENC®s are in the International Hydrographic Office (IHO) S-57 international exchange
format and comply with the IHO ENC Product Specification.
In response to user needs, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey now offers Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). The GIWW is an integral part of the total inland transportation system of the United States, stretching along more than 1,300 coastal miles of the Gulf of Mexico. High accuracy ENCs support safe navigation through this shallow-draft canal, which moves a great number of vessels and a large variety of cargo. ENCs for the entire GIWW stretch from New Orleans to Galveston, TX.
Navigation Response Teams perform hydrographic Side Scan Sonar surveys for updating U.S. Government Navigational Charts. The field teams conduct hazardous obstructions surveys utilizing diving operations, electronic navigation capture, data collection and mapping support capabilities thought out the Atlantic Seaboard, Pacific Coast, Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. The field unit operates in a 365 day a year environment to support NOAA's mission of promoting safe marine navigation. This provides highly accurate and detailed survey data to facilitate production and distribution of marine navigational charts and supplemental aids.
-Rapid emergency response to critical situations:
- port or waterway closings due to natural or man-made disasters
- location of known (planes?) or unknown (finding something new) obstructions for retrieval or removal
- Navy carrier/battle groups deploying or returning home need to know they can get in
Navigation Response Teams

30. ENCs integrated with Coast Pilot data
NOAA’s Ocean Service
ENCs integrated with Coast Pilot data
NRT coverage of the contiguous U.S.
Addressing the survey backlog with new technologies: LIDAR, AUVs, high speed ship launches
Quality Assurance Program
Chart of the Future (UNH Joint Hydrographic Center)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for Shoreline/Remote Sensing
Streamlining Data Pipeline (survey to chart in 3 mos.)
Chart of the Future: The Chart of the Future is a research project at the Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire. NOAA and UNH researchers are taking a two-track approach to developing improved technology for electronic charting.
One track is an evolutionary approach that is developing technology that can be incorporated into today’s electronic charting environment. This includes new approaches for using high-resolution bathymetry and applying real tides to the charting display.
The other, the primary track, is a revolutionary approach to the whole problem of visualization of navigation and charting data. JHC researchers are looking at new approaches to the display and presentation of navigation and charting data that are completely unconstrained by today’s international standards and conventions. These approaches, which will be evaluated in consultation with professional mariners, might include 3-D presentations, multiple perspectives, and linked views, among others.
Quality Assurance Program – required by the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act, it will establish standards for certifying hydrographic products.
We are currently drafting a policy statement that describes how we interpret the law, describes what we're going to do and why, and provides general 'rules of engagement' for the Program.
UAVs – NOAA is considering the possibility of UAVs for shoreline and remote sensing

31. Critical to an MTS Capable of Supporting U.S. Economic Growth
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey
The Administration must make a commitment to capital investment if the U.S. MTS is to continue to grow, handle critical capacity and remain globally competitive.
The MTS is an essential part of our economy – grow it or watch it crumble.
NOAA’s integrated suite of decision support tools facilitate commerce and protect the environment by promoting safe navigation.
Investment in NOAA’s Navigation Services is essential for a technologically advanced, dependable, efficient and environmentally responsible MTS.
Image illustrates all tools working together: vessel had 25 inches of clearance under the Golden Gate bridge. In fact, a crewman sitting on top of crane had to duck at last minute.
The crane will be used in SF for rapid offload of cargo containers from ships.
Used all NOAA services to judge exactly the right time to go under – bridge clearance info, tides/currents, wind speed/direction, NOAA nautical charts.
Critical to an MTS Capable of Supporting U.S. Economic Growth