Year 13 scholars of the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO Training Programme attend the first NOAA Open House on Nautical Cartography and the Third Annual Workshop on Nautical Chart Adequacy.
Nippon Foundation/GEBCO class attend NOAA Nautical Chart Adequacy Workshop
Students from the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO training programme recently attended the NOAA Nautical Chart Adequacy Workshop at the offices of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
The workshop was developed and hosted by the NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center, University of New Hampshire. It was attended by the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO students and participants from four national hydrographic offices, with 11 different countries being represented.
The aim of the workshop was to provide training to help assess the adequacy of nautical charts using publicly-available information such as satellite images and maritime automatic identification system (AIS) data. It was developed in part to address the International Hydrographic Office C-55 publication recognising the need to improve the collection, quality, and availability of hydrographic data worldwide.
The workshop introduced participants to some of the tools used by NOAA OCS to assess nautical charts. It provided an excellent opportunity for the students to meet hydrographers from a variety of backgrounds, expertise and home countries and allowed them to introduce the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO training programme to their hosts and fellow workshop attendees.
Following the workshop, delegates visited the NOAA/National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)/Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) where Karen Marks introduced them to the lab. and the GEBCO cookbook. Delegates also met Walter Smith and Laury Miller amongst others. Nippon Foundation/GEBCO personnel gave a presentation to the Satellite Oceanography & Climatology Division, introducing them to the programme.
The Nippon Foundation/GEBCO Training Programme is a twelve-month course leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Ocean Bathymetry (PCOB). It is held at the University of New Hampshire, USA and is helping to develop a new generation of seafloor mappers. The course is now in its 12th year. Funding for the programme is provided by the Nippon Foundation of Japan.
