New NOAA Coastal Mapping Ship Takes Sail

Officials with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announce that they have commissioned a new, state-of-the-art coastal mapping vessel yesterday, June 8. The ship is called Ferdinand R. Hassler, and was commissioned at the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic.

The sensitive seafloor data that the vessel will collect will be used to monitor changes in underwater topography, but also to update nautical maps and investigate the presence of potentially hazardous objects that may imperil ships sailing past.

“This advanced NOAA survey vessel will play a vital role in ensuring safe navigation and commerce as we work each and every day to position America for the future,” said the assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, Kathryn Sullivan, PhD.

The vessel will operate in support of the NOAA Office of Coast Survey nautical charting mission, and the main areas it will cover include the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes.