Hydrographic Data and Products FAQ

1. Where can I find information on submerged wrecks and obstructions?

2. Where can I find bathymetric and hydrographic data?

3. What format is OCS hydrographic and bathymetric data archived at NGDC?

4. Where can I find hydrographic and bathymetric information for inland lakes and rivers?

5. Where can I find information on tides and currents?

6. Where can I find Topographic sheets (T-Sheets) or shoreline information?

1. Where can I find information on submerged wrecks and obstructions?
Information for submerged wrecks and obstructions in the coastal waters of the United States, including geographic coordinates, can be obtained free of charge via The Office of Coast Survey's Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS). AWOIS contains supplemental textual information including coordinates for items of navigational significance charted on NOAA nautical charts and it not designed to be a comprehensive list of all shipwrecks in any given area. For information about obtaining nautical charts see: Obtain Charting Products.

2. Where can I find bathymetric and hydrographic data?
National Ocean Service hydrographic and bathymetric data is available from the National Geophysical Data Center NGDC). NGDC has developed an interactive Hydrographic Survey Data map service to help users identify available data at http://map.ngdc.noaa.gov/website/mgg/nos_hydro/

3. What format is OCS hydrographic and bathymetric data at NGDC in?
Data is available in several and varying formats depending on age and processing stage. Most surveys have images available in either tiff or MrSid format, which can be viewed with a free downloadable browser plug-in. Many surveys also have data available in ASCII text formats that can be brought into GIS applications.

4. Where can I find hydrographic and bathymetric information for inland lakes and rivers?
NOAA's Office of Coast Survey primarily surveys U.S. coastal waters.  Inland rivers and waters are generally surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

5. Where can I find information on tides and currents?
NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) is responsible for predicting and measuring tides, water levels, and currents and disseminating this information.

6. Where can I find Topographic sheets (T-Sheets) or shoreline information?
Shoreline information and data is available from NOAA's Coastal Services Center (CSC) and the Remote Sensing Division of the National Geodetic Survey.