As ships are increasing in size, mariners are navigating with smaller margins of error, the tools and data available to support them must adapt to meet these needs. NOAA’s Precision Navigation program will provide the mariner with these data to make the best decisions from the sea buoy to the berth by creating a data dissemination site. NOAA is the authoritative source for nautical charts, water level and current measurements, as well as weather forecasts, and other critical real time data within U.S. ports. In order to meet the more precise data needs of mariners NOAA is working to integrate high resolution bathymetry and nautical charts with real time observations and forecasts of winds, waves, water levels, and currents for use by electronic navigation systems and under-keel clearance software. This new dissemination site will provide the backbone of Precision Navigation by allowing mariners to access all of NOAA’s marine navigation data in a single location, allowing mariners to optimize all available sea room. Additionally, NOAA will format these data to meet current and future International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards and provide data discoverability in machine to machine inter-operable formats. NOAA is starting to implement port-specific Precision Navigation projects designed to address the stakeholder defined needs of individual ports. The needs of each port are unique and will require different solutions accordingly. Through Precision Navigation, NOAA will provide high resolution, integrated data for the safe and efficient movement of commerce throughout our nation’s maritime transportation system.
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