NOAA to survey high-traffic coastal waters

NOAA to survey high-traffic coastal waters    U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ships and independent contractors are preparing for the nation's 177th hydrographic surveying season.
   The survey's goal to collect ocean and coastal mapping data for 2,525 square nautical miles in high-traffic coastal waters of the continental United States and Alaska.
   'The science of these surveys underpins the steady flow of commerce and the safety of mariners and coastal communities,' said NOAA Corps Capt. John E. Lowell, director of the Office of Coast Survey, in a statement. More than 13 million jobs are tied to maritime commerce, which contributes more than $742 billion to the American economy.
   U.S. waters cover 3.4 million square nautical miles including a constantly changing coastal environment due to storms, erosion and other coastal processes. To ensure the continued flow of commerce, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey maintains more than 1,000 nautical charts. To ensure the accuracy of these charts, the office annually plans hydrographic survey projects to update depths and identify new navigational hazards on the seafloor. Requests by marine pilots, port authorities, the Coast Guard, researchers and others are considered when setting the year's schedule.
   Safety concerns play a large role in NOAA's project selections. One project covers an area in the Strait of Georgia, Wash., where the largest oil tanker terminal in the state has recently doubled its capacity. In the Chesapeake Bay, data collected by NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson will help address concerns about impacts of a planned pipeline. In addition, this project will provide broader benefit to the region.
   'The timing for the southern Chesapeake Bay survey is really great — not only for commercial shipping but also for Operation Sail 2012,' said Capt. Bill Cofer, president of the Virginia Pilots Association. Operation Sail is a historic ship celebration, drawing numerous tourists.
   The Thomas Jefferson will also survey in eastern Long Island Sound to ensure that no navigational hazards exist in proposed anchorage grounds — areas for vessels to anchor while awaiting transit into ports in the area — while also supporting other ocean mapping initiatives in New York and Connecticut.
   Graphics for the continental U.S. and Alaska that depict planned 2011 projects, and explanations of NOAA survey ship activities, are available on the Office of Coast Survey's Web site.