Abstract

The International Hydrographic Office (IHO) C-55 publication communicates the need to improve the collection, quality and availability of hydrographic data world-wide, while also monitoring and rectifying possible deficiencies and shortcomings that are presented on the chart. This task of evaluating the adequacy of nautical chart products poses a challenge to many national hydrographic offices. This stems from the dearth of readily available spatial information: namely, the lack of reliable and accessible vessel traffic data, and little means to assess the changing nature of both near-shore bathymetry and shoreline in a simple and reliable manner. In this paper, we present the potential use of automatic-identification system (AIS) data, satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB), and airborne-lidar bathymetry (ALB) to provide an operational procedure for evaluating the adequacy and completeness of information of NOAA charts. Preliminary results from three U.S. study sites are presented in this paper: Nantucket Sound, MA; Barnegat Bay Inlet, NJ; and Barataria Bay, LA. Based on the publically-available datasets it was possible to identify changes in the charts and develop a reconnaissance procedure to monitor these changes on a yearly basis.

Department

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Publication Date

3-2015

Journal Title

U.S. Hydrographic Conference

Conference Date

March 16-19, 2015

Publisher Place

National Harbor, Maryland, USA

Publisher

International Hydrographic Organization

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

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