Navigation Services Chartering Satisfaction Survey (and

1
Navigation Services Charting Satisfaction Survey 2011 –
th
Commercial mariners and Coastal Managers Survey - 15 April 2011
Introduction
The following cover emails will be used to invite participation in the surveys:
Dear Chart User
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey is seeking to
determine whether you as a Chart user are satisfied with the products and services you have received,
and whether you have suggestions as to how they can be improved or made more useful. This
information will be used to improve NOAA products and services.
A link is shown below to a questionnaire which can be completed on line. This survey should take no
more than 10 minutes of your time – we have designed it with check boxes so it should be easy to
complete.
Please click on the following link to access the questionnaire. You will be asked for a password, which
will be the email address used for this invitation (no capital letters).
http://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=127317037635

All data collected in this survey will be analyzed according to the specifications of the Market Research
Society’s Code of Conduct, which assures confidentiality to those participating in the survey. The
information provided by answering the questionnaire will only be used for statistical analysis.
When you have completed the questionnaire please click on the “SUBMIT” button, then wait for the
NOAA Website to show. This will ensure we receive your responses. Strategy, Research & Action Inc,
a company that specializes in research on Charts and other Cartographic products, will receive the sent
surveys and analyze the questionnaires and provide NOAA with the statistical results. Please complete
the survey by May 31, 2011.
If you have any comments regarding this survey or any other aspect of this collection of information,
please contact Matthew Kroll, National Ocean Service, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Room 6360,
N/CS5, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
We appreciate your help and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Captain John E Lowell
Director, Office of Coast Survey

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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Dear Chart and Data User
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey is seeking to
determine whether you as a Chart and Data user are satisfied with the products and services you have
received, and whether you have suggestions as to how they can be improved or made more useful. This
information will be used to improve NOAA products and services for coastal management.
A link is shown below to a questionnaire which can be completed on line. This survey should take no
more than 10 minutes of your time – we have designed it with check boxes so it should be easy to
complete.
Please click on the following link to access the questionnaire. You will be asked for a password, which
will be the email address used for this invitation (no capital letters).
http://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=127317037635

All data collected in this survey will be analyzed according to the specifications of the Market Research
Society’s Code of Conduct, which assures confidentiality to those participating in the survey. The
information provided by answering the questionnaire will only be used for statistical analysis.
When you have completed the questionnaire please click on the “SUBMIT” button, then wait for the
NOAA Website to show. This will ensure we receive your responses. Strategy, Research & Action Inc,
a company that specializes in research on Charts, Data and other Cartographic products, will receive the
sent surveys and analyze the questionnaires and provide NOAA with the statistical results. Please
complete the survey by May 31, 2011.
If you have any comments regarding this survey or any other aspect of this collection of information,
please contact Matthew Kroll, National Ocean Service, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Room 6360,
N/CS5, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
We appreciate your help and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Captain John E Lowell
Director, Office of Coast Survey

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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Questionnaires
1.

Which marine sector best describes your primary role?

Navigationally focused
Port operators
Pilots
Commercial vessel operators
Federal/Military vessel operators
Commercial Fishing
Non-navigationally focused
Coastal Resource Management
Science and Research
Industry
Parks and Recreation
Hazard and Emergency
Management
Coastal Developers
Coastal Engineering
Non-Navigational Section
2.

Which of the following coastal or management issues are you involved with for the US coastal
or Great Lakes areas?
Key activities
•
•
•

2b)

Coastal Land Use Planning
Coastal Conservation Planning Issues
Coastal Hazards

Which of the following are you involved in for each activity?
Coastal Land Use Planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Climate change impacts including adaptation planning
Land use planning/growth management/regulation
Wetland loss
Shoreline change management
Climate change impacts including ocean acidification
Near shore and offshore habitat mapping
Energy development including alternative energy

Coastal Conservation Planning Issues
• Habitat management
• Water quality and quantity adapation
• Adapting to impacts of climate change
Coastal Hazards
•
•
•

Sea level rise/change and lake level change
Flooding/inundation/storm surge
Coastal erosion/shoreline change management

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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•
3.

Other climate change impacts.

Which of the following NOAA products, services and data are you aware of?
Check all that apply.
Traditional Paper Nautical Charts
Coast Pilot
Electronic Navigational Charts
Raster Navigational Charts
Historical Charts
BookletCharts
Shoreline
Bathymetry
Hydrographic Survey Priorities
nowCoast
ENC Direct to GIS
V-Datum
Online Chart Viewer
Tide Predictions
Current Predictions
Tidal Datums
Real Time Water Level Data
®
PORTS
Enhanced GPS positioning
(e.g., CORS/OPUS)
Metrological Data
Coastal and Estuarine Operational
Forecast Systems
Sea Level Trends
Storm Quicklook
None of these

4.

Which of the following NOAA products, services and data do you routinely use to perform your
job functions? Check all that apply.
Traditional Paper Nautical Charts
Coast Pilot
Electronic Navigational Charts
Raster Navigational Charts
Historical Charts
, BookletCharts
Shoreline
Bathymetry
Hydrographic Survey Priorities
nowCoast
ENC Direct to GIS
V-Datum
Online Chart Viewer
Tide Predictions
Current Predictions
Tidal Datums
Real Time Water Level Data
®
PORTS
Enhanced GPS positioning
(e.g., CORS/OPUS)
Metrological Data

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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Coastal and Estuarine Operational
Forecast Systems
Sea Level Trends
Storm Quicklook
None of these
5.

How do you use the above products, services and data in your job/profession for coastal
management work?
Risk and vulnerability assessment
Hazard mitigation
Forecasts and warnings
Response immediately after a
hazard disaster
Inform policy decisions
Issue emergency management
actions (i.e., evacuation)
Make financial or insurance decisions
Design coastal projects
(e.g., restoration, coastal engineering)
Long-term recovery
Organizational policy/process
supporting use of tool and data
Equipment/facilities/technology for
tool and data use
Coordination with other local entities to
accomplish management objectives
Education and communication with the
public regarding management activities
and objectives
Coordination with other local entities
Oil and Gas or offshore energy
development
Aquaculture
Other industry or other applications (Please write in)--------

6

How often are you using the following when working with NOAA products, services and data for
coastal management?
Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Only on occasion, Never, Do not, Not
Know applicable
to my work
Online nautical mapping
(browsing/viewing data)
Online databases
(data portals data
clearing houses)
Decision-support tools
(manipulating/analyzing
data)
GIS layers, applications,
tools, extension, etc
Remote sensing data
and derivatives (imagery,
elevation, land cover, bathymetry, mapping)

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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Near real time data
(<24 hours old
e.g., buoys, tide gauges, etc.)
Model or model outputs
(habitat modeling,
SLOSH, HURREVAC)
Visualization (GIS-, 3Dand photobased)
If there are other uses (Please write them in) ------------------7.

What enhancements or changes to existing NOAA products, services and data, and/or what
new products, services and data would assist you in more effectively doing your job?
Please write in__________________________________________________

8.

How frequently are you using these products, services and data in your job?
Daily
Twice weekly
Weekly
Monthly
Less often

9.

How easy is it for you to access NOAA products, services and data?
Very easy
Easy
Neither easy
nor difficult
Difficult
Very difficult

10.

How do you access NOAA products, services and data?
Download it via the Internet
Just view it on the Internet
Purchase it

11.

Do you convert the data to different formats for ease of use?
Yes
No

11b)

If yes, what formats are you changing the data to? (Please write in)-------------------------------

12.

Which of the following statements best describes your ability to use NOAA products, services
and data?
The NOAA products, services and data are in the correct/usable format
The NOAA products, services and data are transferable to other applications
Both as it depends on its application
The NOAA products, services and data are not in the correct/usable format
The NOAA products, services and data are not transferable to other applications

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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13a)

Do you ever use similar products, services and data as described previously that are nonNOAA?
Yes
No

13b)

If Yes, which other products, services and data? (Please write in)---------------------------------

13c)

Why do you use these non-NOAA products, services and data?
They have a better format
They are easier to transfer
They are easier to access
They are more reliable
There is no cost,
Other (Please write in)----------------------------------------

14.

Please tell us the level of engagement you have with the following audiences when using NOAA
products, services and data for coastal management.
A lot
of
Engagement

Some
Engagement

Very little
Engagement

No
Engagement
At All

Coastal management
Fisheries management
Emergency management
Water quality and quantity
Transportation
Weather and climate
Private sector
Scientific Education
Recreation and tourism
Energy
Public services
Industry
Political
Other types of engagement (Please write in)-----------------------------------------------------15.

Please tell us the number of years you've been involved with coastal management.
Less than 5 years
6 – 10 years
11 – 15 years
16 – 20 years
More than 20 years

16.

Please indicate which of the following best represents your current professional position in
coastal management. CHECK ONLY ONE
Education and outreach
Emergency management
Information technology
(GIS, remote sensing, or related field)
Natural resource management
Permitting and regulatory enforcement

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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o
17.

Planning
Program or site administration/management
Academic
Floodplain management
Conservation
Government (local, state, regional, federal)
Industry
Other (Please write in)-------------------------------------------------------2009 Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey
What is your level of engagement with the NOAA representative in your State or region of the
US?
Not sure if there is a state or regional representative
I know who the representative(s) is(are), but I have had limited communication/interaction
I have worked on a group with my representative(s)
I have closely partnered with my representative(s)on 1 or more projects
Not yet but I am interested in meeting with my local NOAA regional representative(s)

18.

How satisfied are you with the products, services and data provided by NOAA’s Navigational
Services for use in Coastal Management?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
Don’t use

19

How likely is it that you would recommend NOAA’s Navigational Services products, services
and data to another user for Coastal Management applications?
Very likely
Likely
Neither likely nor unlikely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Do not know

20.

Which of the following describes the position in your organization that employs you for
Coastal Management?
Regulatory, Policy Makers and Government Representatives
Managers in Non-Governmental Organizations
Academia in Coastal Management
Scientists/Research Scientists
Modellers
Researchers
Data Managers
Coastal Planners and Managers at Local, Regional,
National and International levels
Developers
Waterfront Infrastructure Managers and Planners
Natural Resource Stakeholders
Fishermen
Aquaculture and Agricultural Representatives
Water Supply and Watershed Managers

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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Coastal and Marine Resource Managers
Marine Industrial Representatives
Marine Shipping and Transportation
Marine Facility Operators
Coastal and Offshore Energy Developers
Hazard and Emergency Management Planners and Responders
Coastal and Flood-Plain Specialists
Parks and Recreation Directors
Recreational Fishing Interests
Eco-Tour Businesses
Conservationists
Communication Specialists and Informal Educators
21.

Which of the following regions do you represent (Check all that apply)?
Northeast (ME, NH, RI, MA, CT)
Mid-Atlantic (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA)
Southeast (NC, SC, GA, FL)
Caribbean (PR, VI)
Gulf of Mexico (TX, LA, MI, AL, FL)
Great Lakes (NY, IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, WI)
West Coast (CA, OR, WA)
Alaska
Pacific Islands (HI, GU, AS, MP)
National (all regions)

Commercial Mariners Section
1.

Which products and services of NOAA are you aware of? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
Electronic Navigational Charts
Raster Nautical Charts
Print on Demand Charts
Nautical Chart Users Guide
Co-operative Charting
BookletCharts, Pocket Charts
Historical Charts
Coast Pilot, Coastal Map and Vector Shoreline
ENC Direct
National Survey Plan
Bathy/Topo/Shoreline, Now COAST
Tides and Currents
Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS)
On-line catalog
On-line notice to mariners Chart update
On-line Chart viewer
V-Datum
None of these

2.

And which of these activities and services of NOAA have you bought and/or used in the last 12
months? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

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Electronic Navigational Charts
Raster Nautical Charts
Print on Demand Charts
Nautical Chart Users Guide
Co-operative Charting
BookletCharts
Pocket Charts
Historical Charts
Coast Pilot
Coastal Map and Vector Shoreline
ENC Direct
National Survey Plan
Bathy/Topo/Shoreline
Now COAST
Tides and Currents
Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS)
On-line catalog
On-line notice to mariners Chart update
On-line Chart viewer
V-Datum
None of these
3.

How satisfied are you with the services provided by NOAA? CHECK ONE ONLY
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied

4.

How likely is it that you would recommend a NOAA chart to another mariner to use?
CHECK ONE ONLY
Very likely
Likely
Neither likely nor unlikely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Do not know

5.

Please look at each of the NOAA services listed below and rate each for how satisfied you have
been with the services provided? CHECK ONE FOR EACH
Very
Satisfied
Satisfied
Quality of products
Quality of services
Timeliness of response to requests
Cost of the products
Helpfulness of NOAA staff who
dealt with you prior and/or after sale
Knowledge of the staff in dealing
with your needs
Clarity and accuracy of responses
from NOAA staff to your questions

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001

Neither satisfied Unsatisfied, Very
Nor Unsatisfied
Unsatisfied

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Ease in reaching correct NOAA
office to deal with your request
The format of the NOAA data received
The documentation of the data received
The description of NOAA products and data
in Catalogs and the Website
Overall satisfaction with the services provided
Overall satisfaction compared with products
and services obtained from a Commercial publisher
Overall satisfaction compared with products
and services from other US Federal Government Agencies
Overall satisfaction compared with products
and services from foreign chart publishers
6.

Would you like to add a comment about your satisfaction with a specific NOAA nautical
charting product? _______________________________________________________

7.

How long have you been a professional mariner?
CHECK ONE AS APPROPRIATE YEARS
Less than 2 years
2 to 5 years
6 to 10 years
11 to 15 years
16 to 20 years
21 to 25 years
Over 25 years

8.

What is your primary use of NOAA products or services? CHECK ONE ONLY
Commercial Navigation
Scientific Research
Regulatory Compliance
Educational studies
Reference/Library use
Legal use
General information

9.

Which types of vessel do you operate, work on or sail?
CHECK ONE ONLY
Container Ship
General Cargo Ship
Tanker
Bulk Carrier
Passenger Vessel (Passenger or Cruise ship)
Tug Boat
Crewboat
Naval or Coast Guard Vessel
Fishing Boat,
Powerboat
Sail Boat
Not applicable to my use of Charts

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) is trying to do an analysis of existing information on why customers
may not use or may underuse NOAA navigation products. Competing products exist and are sometimes
preferred over OCS products. Please answer the following questions to help OCS to meet your needs:
10.

Which of the following are closest to your reasons why you might select a product other than
a NOAA Office of Coast Survey product (e.g. NOAA Nautical Chart, RNC, ENC etc.)?
They are more user friendly
They are cheaper
They have more benefits, information, etc
They are more readily available
I am more aware of them
Or please write in your other reasons: _______________________

11.

Why do you underuse NOAA Office of Coast Survey products if you do so?
I don’t refer to charts very often
My charts and local knowledge is good enough
I get automatic updates added to an electronic chart that I use instead of NOAA products
They are too inconvenient or too hard to use
Or please write in your other reasons: ______________________________________________

12.

Which of the following are closest to your reasons for not using any product?
My local knowledge is sufficient
I don’t have space on the vessel I sail in
I take the same route regularly
They are too inconvenient or too hard to use
Or write in your other reasons: _____________________________

13.

Please indicate in which age group you fall:
Under 25 years old
25-29 years old
30-39 years old
40-49 years old
50-59 years old
60– 69 years old
70 years or above

At the end of both sections of the questionnaire:
14.

Are you willing to take part in future product satisfaction research surveys about NOAA?
Yes
No

15.

Are you interested in receiving a Summary of the Research?
Yes
No

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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Paperwork Reduction Act Information:
In accordance with Executive Order 12862, the National Performance Review, and good management practices, NOAA
offices seek to determine whether their customers are satisfied with the services/products they are receiving and
whether they have suggestions as to how the services/products may be improved or made more useful. The information
will be used to improve NOAA’s products and services. Responses to this survey are completely voluntary. No
confidentiality can be provided for responses, but you need not supply your name and address. Public reporting burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response. Send comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Howard
Danley, CIO-PPA1, Station 9823, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Notwithstanding any other
provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to
comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Definitions of NOAA Products and Services for explanation for respondent
Traditional Paper Nautical Charts
The traditional paper chart is one of NOAA's signature products. The comprehensive suite of traditional
paper charts can be used to navigate the Great Lakes and the coastal waters of the U.S. and its
territories. (Traditional charts meet U.S. Coast Guard carriage requirements in U.S. waters.)
Coast Pilot
The United States Coast Pilot® consists of a series of nautical books that cover a variety of
information important to navigators of coastal and intracoastal waters and the Great Lakes. Issued in
nine volumes, they contain supplemental information that is difficult to portray on a nautical chart.
Electronic Navigational Charts
NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts® (NOAA ENCs) are vector data sets that represent NOAA's
newest and most powerful electronic charting product. NOAA ENCs conform with the International
Hydrographic Office (IHO) S-57 international exchange format, comply with the IHO ENC Product
Specification, and are provided with incremental updates that supply Notice to Mariners corrections and
other critical changes.
Raster Navigational Charts
NOAA Raster Navigational Charts® (NOAA RNCs) are full-color digital images of NOAA's entire suite of
paper charts. NOAA provides weekly updates to the RNCs, which are available for free on this site in the
BSB format.
Historical Charts
The Office of Coast Survey's Historical Map & Chart Collection is a rich archive of high-resolution
images capturing a vast wealth of the U.S. government's historical surveying and mapping. The
collection of over 35,000 scanned images - covering offshore and onshore sites - includes some of the
Nation's earliest nautical charts, bathymetric maps, city plans, and Civil War battlefield maps.
Shoreline
The Remote Sensing Division of the National Geodetic Survey plans and acquires aerial photography
and compiles shoreline data, primarily for application to the nautical charts produced by NOAA's Office
of Coast Survey. In recent years these data have been produced in digital form. Many of the older
hardcopy shoreline manuscripts have also been converted to digital form, mostly by projects managed
by the NOAA Coastal Services Center. These digital data sets are thought to have value beyond the
application to nautical charts, especially for those users conducting GIS analysis and producing special
purpose maps in the coastal zone.
Bathymetry
Bathymetric data is used to compile the official nautical charts for the United States and its territories.
The data is also available to the general public via NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NDGC).
2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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The National Geophysical Data Center (NDGC) is the data archive and distribution centre for NOAA’s
digital bathymetric data.
BookletCharts
A up-to-date paper nautical chart arranged as a series of 8 ½” by 11” pages in the Adobe .PDF format
that one may download from the Internet and print at home for free.
On-Line Chart Viewer
A free Internet site where one can view any NOAA nautical chart using only a Web browser. These
charts are updated weekly for all Notices to Mariners.

Hydrographic Survey Priorities
NOAA establishes hydrographic survey priorities for general and long term project scheduling purposes.
The priorities are outlined in the 2010 edition of "NOAA's Hydrographic Survey Priorities" document.
NOAA continually reviews the marine community’s needs for charting products and hydrographic
surveys and will review and update this document every year.
nowCoast
NowCOAST provides NOAA users with centralized, one-stop access to on-line, real-time coastal environmental
data, imagery, and NOAA forecasts for any region in the coastal United States. NowCOAST provides users with
interactive maps depicting latest surface weather and ocean observations, NOAA satellite cloud imagery, NWS
weather radar mosaics and model-based forecasts. NowCOAST’s map functions and geospatial data are now
available via Web Mapping Services (WMS), thus enabling access via desktop computers, other mapping websites,
and mobile devices.
ENC Direct to GIS
The NOAA ENC Direct to GIS web portal provides comprehensive access to display, query, and
download all available NOAA Electronic Navigational Chart data in a variety of GIS/CAD formats for nonnavigational purposes using Internet mapping service technology.
V-DATUM
Vertical Datum Transformation, an innovative and evolving software tool under development by NOAA's
National Ocean Service. Free to the public, V-Datum's primary purpose is to convert elevation data from
various sources into a common reference system.
Online Chart Viewer
NOAA’s 1,000-plus U.S. coastal and Great Lakes nautical charts are viewable here on-line. Each chart
is up-to-date with the most recent Notices to Mariners corrections. Use these on-line charts as a ready
reference or planning tool.
Tides Predictions
Annual listing of daily predicted times and heights of high and low tide at a specific location.
Currents Predictions
Annual listing of daily predicted times and speed of max flood and ebb tidal currents at a specific
location.
Tidal Datums
A base elevation used as a reference from which to reckon heights or depths. A tidal datum is a
standard elevation defined by a certain phase of the tide. Tidal datums such as Mean Lower Low Water
or Mean High Water are used as references to measure local water levels.
Real-Time Water Level Data
NOAA's National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) is a network of 210 long-term,
2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
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continuously operating water level stations throughout the coastal USA, including its island possessions
and territories and the Great Lakes. NWLON stations are the reference stations for NOAA's tide
prediction products, serve as controls in determining tidal datums, contributing to coastal zone
management and are a key part of the NOAA Tsunami Warning System and the NOAA Storm Surge
Warning System.
PORTS®
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) is a decision support tool that improves the
safety and efficiency of maritime commerce and coastal resource management through the integration
of real-time environmental observations, predictions and other geospatial information in port areas.
PORTS® measures and disseminates observations and predictions of water levels, currents, salinity,
bridge air gap, waves and meteorological parameters (e.g., winds, atmospheric pressure, air and water
temperatures and visibility) that mariners need to navigate safely and efficiently.
Enhanced GPS positioning
Enhanced GPS positioning refers to the use of a NOAA managed network of Continuously Operating
Reference Stations (CORS) that provide high accuracy GPS data in support of three dimensional
positioning. The network is accessed through the Online Positioning User Service (OPUS), which
accepts GPS user observations and computes coordinates for the CORS network. GIS users,
engineers, surveyors and others use Enhanced GPS positioning services to improve the precision of
their GPS positions.
Meteorological data
NOAA's National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) is a network of 210 long-term,
continuously operating water-level stations throughout the coastal USA, including its island possessions
and territories and the Great Lakes. Each station is equipped with a suite of meteorological sensors.
These sensors include wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, air and water temperatures and
visibility.
Coastal and Estuarine Operational Forecast Systems
Coastal and estuarine Operational Forecast Systems (OFS) consist of the automated integration of realtime observing system data streams and hydrodynamic models to provide short-term predictions of
water levels, currents, temperature and salinity. The OFS products are disseminated graphically and
digitally and the system is subject to continuous quality-control monitoring. State-of-the-art numerical
hydrodynamic models, driven by real-time data and meteorological, oceanographic, and river flow
forecasts from other models, form the core of these end-to-end systems. The OFS perform nowcasts
and short-term (0 hr. - 48 hr.) forecasts of the pertinent physical parameters and disseminate them to
users via web-based graphics and digitally via OpenDAP & THREDDS servers.
Sea Level Trends
Long-term rates of sea level change relative to the land, as measured at a coastal tide station.
Storm Quicklook
Integrated display of meteorological and water level information in the path of a hurricane, overlaid on
National Hurricane Center storm track with analysis of storm tide information.

2011 Nautical Charting Customer Satisfaction Survey – April 2011
Order Number: DG133CO9SE4763 – Mod 0001