gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39979 eng UTF8 dataset Mixed Office of Coast Survey resourceProvider Robertson, Evan (757) 317-0781 evan.j.robertson@noaa.gov https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office of Coast Survey Home Page Website listed for Robertson, Evan information pointOfContact 2026-04-30T00:00:00 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) NOS Hydrographic Surveys Collection hydro_surveys 1834 creation 1834 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 39979 NOAA NCEI https://doi.org/10.25921/qh2z-7261 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39979 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/hydrographic-survey-data.html WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL Main webpage. download The data were created by NOAA/OCS/HSD. Publication Date Range is 1834 through present. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a statutory mandate to collect hydrographic data to support the compilation of nautical charts, safe navigation, and to provide basic data for engineering, scientific and other commercial and industrial activities. This dataset collection describes the hydrographic data collected and managed by NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS). Hydrographic survey data consists primarily of water depths but also includes features (rocks, wrecks, etc.), navigational aids, shoreline and some bottom type information. This information is used by the federal government, state and local governments, commercial fishermen, ship pilots, coastal zone managers, fisheries biologists, offshore oil and gas operators, and others. Examples of how these entities incorporate hydrographic survey data include storm surge modeling and fish habitat studies as well as supporting maritime functions such as port and harbor maintenance, coastal planning and engineering, and coastal zone management. The Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-384), as amended in 2002 (P.L. 107-372) and 2008 (P.L. 110-386) directs NOAA to acquire and disseminate hydrographic data to support safe, efficient, and environmentally sound marine transportation and meet the acquisition and dissemination duties of the Administration under the Coast and Geodetic Survey Act (33 U.S.C. §883a et seq.). Pursuant to this, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS) conducts hydrographic surveys to measure water depths, ensuring the safety of navigation for boats and ships in U.S. coastal regions. The Hydrographic Surveys Division (HSD) coordinates the acquisition, processing and management of hydrographic data to meet its mandates related to nautical charting and safety of navigation. HSD's purpose is to produce the best available, high-quality, reliable, and useful data to support these essential objectives. NOAA/OCS/HSD underDevelopment Robertson, Evan (757) 317-0781 evan.j.robertson@noaa.gov https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office of Coast Survey Home Page Website listed for Robertson, Evan information pointOfContact Robertson, Evan (757) 317-0781 evan.j.robertson@noaa.gov https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office of Coast Survey Home Page Website listed for Robertson, Evan information custodian continual EARTH SCIENCE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > BATHYMETRY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > BATHYMETRY > COASTAL BATHYMETRY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > HYDROGRAPHY theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 23.3 CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OCEAN place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 23.3 bathymetry/topography theme NOS Data Explorer Topic Category bathymetry charting coastline depth hydrographic data hydrography morphology navigation surveys ocean seafloor topography sonar soundings water depth theme United States coastal waters place DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCS > Office of Coast Survey, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian ocs project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office of Coast Survey, [Date of Access]: NOS Hydrographic Surveys Collection [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39979. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. license These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0). SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0) otherRestrictions Access Constraints: Restrictions, if any, are dictated by the OCS Sensitive Data Handling Policy otherRestrictions Use Constraints: These data sets are not for navigational purposes. The data used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have no warranty expressed or implied as to the accuracy. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no liability or responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of this data, software, or related materials. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: This data is not for navigational purposes. While every effort has been made to ensure that this data is accurate and reliable, NOAA assumes no liability for any damage caused by any errors or omissions in the data. unclassified NOS Hydrographic Surveys 2012 publication HSMDB https://doi.org/10.25921/qh2z-7261 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information custodian crossReference eng; US elevation oceans 144 -62 -15 74 Data exist within the federal waters of the United States of America | Currentness: Publication Date 1834 The first hydrographic surveys conducted by NOAA's predecessor organization (Survey of the Coast) date from the 1830's when lead lines were used to determine depth. Depth measurement techniques improved with the introduction of single beam echosounders (1920's), the development of a continuous recording capability (late 1930's) and the utilization of multibeam sonar systems and airborne LiDAR (mid to late 1990's). These latter two systems plus side scan sonar provided a more complete coverage of the seafloor, thus reducing the possibility of undetected hazards to navigation. As depth measurement methods were evolving, positioning techniques also improved from three-point sextant fixes, to land-based electronic positioning systems and finally to the currently used Global Positioning System (GPS). These various techniques have a variety of accuracies associated with them. Note: Spatial reference information varies, please see individual survey metadata reports for additional information. false eng false Appendix 2. Metadata Attribution Guide (page 81) https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/documents/HSSD_2026-0-01.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Entity Attribute Detail URL Entity Attribute Detail URL information PDF file for descriptive report. Web Service (Other) ESRI REST Service Office of Coast Survey 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office of Coast Survey Website Website listed for Office of Coast Survey information distributor https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/nos-hydrographic-survey WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Hydrographic Survey Data Products Hydrographic Survey data: raw (as collected), processed and derived products download https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Bathymetric Data Viewer The Bathymetric Data Viewer is an interactive map providing discovery for bathymetric survey data and digital elevation models archived at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). download https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=dbd382c4ef5a4464a0a29dfcefda8d43 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA NOS Hydrographic Survey Data WMS A hosted feature service showing the location and coverage derived from NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Hydrographic Surveys in U.S. waters and non-hydrographic surveys acquired external to OCS, that have been assessed by OCS for use in NOAA's navigational products and the National Bathymetry. download dataset Horizontal Positional Accuracy Horizontal positional accuracy varies by survey dataset. Review the metadata associated with each dataset for specifics. The earliest technique, using resection and sextants, was common for large-scale surveys (1:5000) until the 1970s. This technique measured angles between onboard sextants and three onshore objects with known positions. This method was limited to line-of-sight, though buoys extended the range offshore with a resulting decrease in accuracy. Positional accuracies typically ranged from 5 to 10 meters. The precursor to modern electronic techniques, Radio-Acoustic-Ranging, was developed in 1924 and used until the early 1940s. This technique determined a vessel's position up to 200 miles offshore by measuring the time difference between a TNT explosion and the received radio transmission from fixed hydrophones. Electronic Positioning Systems like Shoran, EPI, and Raydist became popular starting in the mid-1940s and were widely used until the mid-1990s. Positional accuracy for these systems typically ranged from 10 to 20 meters, though improved land-based systems later achieved accuracies less than 10 meters. Surveys occurring since 1990 utilize Global Positioning System (GPS) in differential mode (DGPS), which became the standard for most inshore surveys. Typical accuracies for DGPS derived positions are +/- 5 meters. Vertical Positional Accuracy Vertical positional accuracy varies by survey dataset. Review the metadata associated with each dataset for specifics. Early lead line depth accuracy was limited by the influence of line stretch, currents, bottom types and other unknown correction factors. While accuracy is typically sufficient for shallow depths, its precision degrades significantly with depth. Singlebeam fathometer vertical accuracy is a variable percentage of depth, and requires numerous corrections for equipment, ship motion, sound speed, heading error, and time delay. Post-1970 multibeam sonar significantly improved vertical accuracy and processing specificity. In concert with modern ancillary sensors (sound speed profilers, inertial motion units) and precision calibrations, depths are typically recorded on the order of centimeters. The accuracy of these measurements rely heavily on the same corrections as singlebeam fathometers and report vertical precision for high-resolution systems in shallow water as low as +/- 2 centimeters. Generally, the number is commonly reported as 10 to 20 centimeters. Completeness Report Many areas portrayed on nautical charts have never been adequately surveyed for modern shipping needs. More than 50% of the areas covered by these charts are based on lead line soundings acquired prior to 1940. Additionally, until the 1990s, the spacing between sounding lines may have been too wide to discover all features on the seafloor including wrecks and other obstructions. Modern surveys using multibeam and side scan sonar increase the chances of locating all such features but due to equipment and resource limitations, there can be no guarantee that all have been found in an area. In areas of critical navigational importance (entrances to ports, heavily traveled nearshore sea lanes, etc.) the most rigorous survey techniques are used, decreasing the chance of missing important seafloor features, but not eliminating that possibility. Conceptual Consistency Historically, various editions of the Hydrographic Manual (published in 1931, 1942, 1960, 1976, 2009) provided guidance for accuracy and resolution. Current standards are set forth in the NOS Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables (updated annually). All measured depths have been corrected for water level relative to chart datum, dynamic vessel draft including settlement and squat, and sound speed variations. HSD has traditionally been the organization that acquired the bulk of the hydrographic survey data. Beginning in 1834 hydrographic data was collected by a fleet of survey ships in deep water operations supplemented inshore by field parties. Since the late 1990's many surveys have been by contractors. Through the years this process of data capture has been supplemented by other government agencies like the Corps of Engineers in channel dredging and the United States Coast Guard in Notice to Mariner publications warning of navigation dangers. Private citizens can also contribute data by sending correspondence depicting wrecks, obstructions or shoals. Robertson, Evan (757) 317-0781 evan.j.robertson@noaa.gov processor Hydrographic data collected by the field units are processed to the standards set forth in Office of Coast Survey's Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD). Robertson, Evan (757) 317-0781 evan.j.robertson@noaa.gov processor Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD) 2024-01-17 publication Office of Coast Survey https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/standards-and-requirements.html WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD) The Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD) 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 (IHO) standards for hydrographic survey and product specifications. The HSSD is available in PDF format, via online viewer and as a portable HTML (download file, unzip, and double-click index.htm). Please note that the HSSD is updated as needed. A new version is put out each calendar year but small updates can occur throughout the year. information publisher 1967