Navigation Response Teams (NRTs) are small, highly mobile, hydrographic field units that are equipped with trailerable survey launches. NRTs perform hydrographic Side Scan Sonar surveys for updating NOAA charts. The field teams have the capability to conduct hazardous obstruction surveys utilizing diving operations, electronic navigation capture, data collection and mapping support capabilities thought out the Atlantic Seaboard, Pacific Coast, Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. NRTs operate in a 365-day a year environment to support NOAA's mission of promoting safe marine navigation. This provides highly accurate and detailed survey data to facilitate production and distribution of marine navigational charts and supplemental aids.
NOAA maintains a fleet of seven NRTs that are stationed in different regions across the country. Each NRT vessel is equipped with Differential GPS positioning equipment, side scan sonars, and single beam echo sounders. In addition, two NRT vessels are equipped with multibeam sonars.
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