NOAA Coast Survey and The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) collaborated during the 2016 Field Season to map the continental shelf near Wilmington, North Carolina for habitat analysis and the safety of navigation.
The Wilmington project has epitomized the Integrated and Coastal Ocean Mapping (IOCM) effort within NOAA: from data discovery and communication of mapping priorities between stakeholders; to the sharing of expertise and data; doing more with limited resources. Past habitat surveys were refined for charting. Scientists from Coast Survey, NCCOS, and UNH JHC/CCOM came together to share best practices. A bottom camera attached to the grab sampler prototype developed by UNH JHC/CCOM scientists was tested.
Bottom photos, sediment samples, backscatter, and bathymetry were collected, to meet both habitat analysis and charting needs. This opportunity has opened discussions on how we can collect data that meets multiple needs, and how to serve that data to our stakeholders.
The hydrographic community wears many hats: we are sailors, scientists, and explorers. We muster considerable resources, face a considerable risk, to gather data to see the world better. For the safety of navigation; for solving environmental problems; and to model our world, we work together.