NOAA OCEAN SERVICE CREATES NEW CHART UPDATE WEB SITE

May 29, 2003 — Mariners now have a new and easier way to access updated information for their nautical charts. The NOAA Ocean Service Office of Coast Survey has launched its new Chart Update Web site offering streamlined access to chart updates.

The new NOAA Chart Update Web site provides access to chart updates that have been published in the United States Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners, National Imagery and Mapping Agency Notice to Mariners and Canadian Coast Guard Notice to Mariners. Chart updates include information on aids to navigation changes, hazards to navigation or other essential information for safe navigation such as water level depth conditions on maintained harbor channels, bridge and cable clearances and regulatory changes.

This new site offers the user three options to access chart update data. The first option allows the user to enter the NOAA chart number and receive a list of chart updates from the most current to the oldest printing of the chart. The user can also enter a specific location name (such as a city, town or waterway name) or the name of a major United States port facility to receive a list of NOAA chart numbers pertaining to that area. The final option allows users to see all chart updates from previous chart editions.

The NOAA Chart Update Web site also includes features that will allow the user to view and print images for Army Corps of Engineers maintained channel depth tabulations and small page size chart update images called “Chartlets”. These images are available by NOAA chart number through the three search mechanisms mentioned above.

The chart updates available on this site reflect the same chart update information available on the NOAA Print-on-Demand paper charts, the NOAA raster chart update service, and the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (NOAA ENC®).

While information provided on this Web site assists in the updating of nautical charts, it is not intended to be used as a substitute for the United States Coast Guard, National Imagery & Mapping Agency or Canadian Coast Guard Notice to Mariner publications. Temporary changes to aids to navigation, special published announcements and other important information affecting navigational safety are not available on this Web site.

The NOAA Ocean Service is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans. The NOAA Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Chart Update

NOAA Ocean Service

Media Contact:
Glenda Tyson, NOAA Ocean Service, (301) 713-3066 ext. 191