The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the statutory mandate to collect hydrographic data in support of nautical chart compilation for safe navigation and to provide background data for engineers, scientific, and other commercial and industrial activities. Hydrographic survey data primarily consist of water depths, but may also include features (e.g. rocks, wrecks), navigation aids, shoreline identification, and bottom type information. NOAA is responsible for archiving and distributing the source data as described in this metadata record.
NOAA/NOS Descriptive Report in PDF format
The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords.
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Keywords
This page provides an interface to search the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online Page
NOAA/NOS Smooth Sheet survey image in MrSID format