NOAA mobile integrated survey team prepares for hurricane season

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is the federal leader in emergency hydrographic response. Consecutive strong storms during the 2017 hurricane season made response efforts challenging, and emphasized the importance of having a well-trained and versatile staff. Coast Survey’s regional navigation managers, navigation response teams (NRTs), and mobile integrated survey team (MIST) worked with partners before and after the storms to quickly and safely reopen ports and waterways.
The MIST equipment is a mobile, quick-install side scan and single beam sonar kit that can be quickly set up on a vessel of opportunity. Recently, Coast Survey sent the MIST team to Astoria, Oregon to conduct a hydrographic survey of the Mott Basin area, which the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requested to confirm charted depth and obstruction data.
The MIST group used this as an opportunity to give NRTs experience with setup, usage, and tear down of MIST equipment, as well as to perform a system test prior to the upcoming hurricane season.

Data collection in the Mott Basin aboard the USCG Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat (TANB) vessel
Data collection in the Mott Basin aboard the USCG Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat (TANB) vessel

The team installed and integrated the MIST equipment on a USCG Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat (TANB) vessel. TANB vessels are normally used for navigation aid maintenance, but can serve as a vessel of opportunity for hydrographic surveys using MIST equipment. During the 2017 hurricane season, NOAA used USCG vessels of opportunity in Florida and Puerto Rico for rapid hydrographic survey response.
Setting up the MIST equipment on a USCG TANB vessel
Setting up the MIST equipment on a USCG TANB vessel

The deployment to Mott Basin in not only provided USCG with hydrographic data to meet their operational mission, but also allowed NOAA to exercise equipment that will be critical to any upcoming storm or emergency response.
The MIST and USCG survey crew. Tim Wilkinson (NRT3, far left),Erin Diurba (NRT4, second from left), Alex Ligon (NRT1, second from right) and Mike Annis (HQ, far right) represented Coast Survey.
The MIST and USCG survey crew. Tim Wilkinson (NRT3, far left), Erin Diurba (NRT4, second from left), Alex Ligon (NRT1, second from right) and Mike Annis (HQ, far right) represented Coast Survey.

Coast Survey’s NRTs conduct hydrographic surveys to update NOAA’s suite of nautical charts. The teams are strategically located around the country and remain on call to respond to emergencies speeding the resumption of shipping after storms, and protecting life and property from underwater dangers to navigation.

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