Jan 29
More Than Just Charts - What is the NOAA and How Does it Help Recreational Boaters?
- Richard Crowder
- Jul 2
- 6 min read
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is more than just charts. It's the coming together of Oceanography and Climatology.
What is the NOAA and How Does it Help Recreational Boaters?
With headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the NOAA, as part of the United States Federal Department of Commerce, boasts 12,000 employees and a Commissioned Corps of 300 uniformed service members, seven federal research laboratories, and working relationships with almost 50 universities and institutions.
NOAA generates terabytes of scientific data per day which is made available for free to the public. The data is produced through its operating divisions including the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Weather Service, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, and the Office of Space Commerce.
The NOAA traces its roots to before the American Revolutionary War. As commerce back and forth with England, Europe, and Africa expanded, the rugged eastern coast of North America caused problems with shipping in and out of its tricky harbours. Following the war, and the Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies in 1776, the shipping of goods to and from America grew both progressively more important and more voluminous. Recognizing the problem, in 1807 President Thomas Jefferson founded the United States Survey of the Coast.
The objective of the survey was to “map” the coastline and its waters to outline not only hazards to navigation but safe entrances to and from harbours. In 1849, while investigating the Gulf Stream, the survey discovered for the first time and mapped the continental shelf. In 1857, operating on the West Coast in the Pacific Ocean off California, the survey discovered the first known seafloor gulch or canyon -- now known as the Monterey Canyon.
The survey was mostly shut down during the American Civil War, but was operating once again in 1871. At that time, it began using navy officers returning from the war to expand the scope of the Survey to include geodetic activities in the interior of the United States. A wireline sounding machine was invented in 1872 to eventually replace the slow and questionable accuracy of dangling weighted hemp rope overboard to determine water depth for soundings.
To reflect the expanded scope of the Survey, in 1878, the name was changed to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS). The same year, the first deep water offshore chart was produced highlighting the Gulf of Mexico. In 1882, the world’s first-ever dedicated oceanographic research vessel, the steamer Albatross was launched by the U.S. Fisheries Commission for C&GS use. Ocean research on both coasts contributed vast volumes of cumulative knowledge throughout the balance of the 19th century and into the early stages of the 20th century.
Then in April, 1912, the sinking of the Titanic in the North Atlantic off Canada accelerated the effort to create a device that could detect through acoustic means objects in the water. Just two years later, the C&GS Fessenden Oscillator was tested on board a US Coast Guard cutter and simultaneously reflected a signal back off both an iceberg and the sea bottom. The First World War generated increased research to improve acoustic echo sounding to find submarines.
In 1924, the Coast and Geodetic Survey was the first to use Radio Acoustic Ranging (RAR) as both a navigation tool and position locator providing continuous operation in all weather conditions. It utilized triangulation from two fixed radio transmitters to a moving vessel to determine its location. This same technology was applied to locate submarines. This was the first in a series of firsts in the development of telemetering oceanographic instruments.
A C&GS scientist developed the practical and reliable echo-sounding Dorsey Fathometer in 1930 which subsequently entered worldwide use. Survey researchers invented an automatic telemetering radio sono-buoy in 1935, thus eliminating the need for manned fixed station ships for Radio Acoustic Ranging. The continuously recording temperature measurement Spilhaus bathythermograph was invented by C&GS in 1937. The following year, a C&GS scientist developed the Roberts Radio Current Meter, the first automatic moored oceanographic telemetering instrument.
World War II accelerated progress in electronic navigation, location, and sounding as well as in precision bombing techniques involving progressively sophisticated electronics. During the war, the C&GS researched and experimented with available military technology to adapt it for its own oceanographic use. In 1945, this resulted in conducting its first hydrographic survey utilizing the new SHORAN – Short Range Navigation military technology, invented almost by accident by RCA Victor. C&GS also utilized wartime technology to invent magnetometers, sidescan sonar, deep-ocean camera systems, and technology for guiding remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s).
In 1947, C&GS’s new Electronic Position Indicator (EPI) provided remarkable location accuracy to around 100 feet up to some 200 miles offshore from a ground station. This became invaluable for more accurate charting as well as sea bottom knowledge. EPI was used extensively by C&GS surveying in 1955 of the entire US West Coast from San Diego north to Cape Flattery on the northern tip of Washington State.
The year 1963 saw the first use of a multibeam sounding system called the Sonar Array Sounding System (SASS). The resulting surrounding echo-soundings perpendicular to a survey ship’s heading coupled with increasingly accurate navigation and positioning allowed the C&GS to produce much more accurate charting.
LORAN (Long Range Navigation) was invented during World War II and put to limited use commercially and militarily following the war including by the United States Coast Guard. After considerable development work by the US Navy, in 1974, a new version known as LORAN-C was much more affordable and was released for pleasure boating use. LORAN-C provided worldwide coverage and accurate positioning to within hundreds of feet utilizing hyperbolic Lines of Position (LoP) printed on NOAA navigation charts. LORAN-C stayed in use until GPS, available to the public in the 1980’s, finally rendered it obsolete by 2009 and it was shut down.
Back in 1965, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) was created within the Department of Commerce and was the first agency to reflect environmental concerns in its title. It became the parent organization for the Coast and Geodetic Survey along with the Weather Bureau. The Coast and Geodetic Service Corps became the ESSA Corps. ESSA brought all meteorological, climatological, hydrographic, and geodetic agencies and operations under one umbrella. In 1970, by Executive Order, it became the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the same time as the passing of the first Environmental Protection Act.
In the last paragraph, I mention the C&GS Service Corps becoming the ESSA Corps. In the opening paragraph, I mention NOAA as having a “Commissioned Corps of over three hundred uniformed service members” known as the NOAA Corps. Let me clarify. The NOAA Corps is the smallest of eight federal uniformed services in the United States. It was created in 1917 during World War I and is comprised of scientifically and technically trained officers. These officers captain the ships, pilot the aircraft, direct research projects, conduct diving operations, and serve in staff positions within NOAA and can be transferred as required to the United States Armed Forces in wartime or for appropriate defense requirements or other military scientific projects.
As outlined much earlier, the National Ocean Service (NOS) is one of the main operating divisions of the NOAA. Through eight internal departments, NOS scientists and specialists work to ensure oceans and coastal areas comprised of 95,000 miles (153,000 km) of shoreline plus the Great Lakes are safe, healthy, and productive. One of these eight internal departments, the Office of Coast Survey includes the Marine Chart Division, Hydrographic Surveys Division, Navigation Services Division, and the Coast Survey Development Lab.
Finally we have discovered where coastal and Great Lakes navigation charts are produced within NOAA and as you can now visualize, it is one small part of a massive environmentally-focused research and reporting organization. As of January, 2025, NOAA through its Office of Coast Survey’s Marine Chart Division will no longer produce, update, or provide revisions to paper charts. Print on Demand for Custom Charts through an App and utilizing the latest Electronic Navigational Chart data is still available and may be printed on your home computer printer.
Its premier nautical chart product is the NOAA Electronic Navigational Chart (NOAA ENC) for recreational and commercial vessels equipped with an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). Most chartplotter makers re-brand these ENC’s. The Office of Coast Survey website is an almost overwhelming source of charting information if you wish to dig deeper.
The NOAA mission overall is to not only monitor and report on oceanic and atmospheric conditions but to predict their future conditions and interactions as well as taking action to preserve their well-being and productivity. That of course includes safe navigation.
The NOAA relies on the United States Coast Guard to place, maintain, and remove Aids to Navigation as required. A different organization, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) surveys and produces charts of inland navigable waters in the United States. #culture #tips
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