Integrated Ocean & Coastal Mapping
Integrated Ocean & Coastal Mapping
Map Once, Use Many Times
Regional Activities
Extending to the outer limits of the U.S. exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, U.S. ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes waters cover approximately 3.9 million square nautical miles. This vast area is
subdivided into regions,
where partners collaborate to drive NOAA and its partners to increase survey efficiency, foster
cooperation, and encourage the open sharing of data.
To participate in coordinated U.S. planning efforts for any of the regions below,
please visit the
U.S. Mapping
Coordination site
Explore Each Region
Seascape Alaska
Formed in April 2021, Seascape
Alaskais a regional mapping campaign in support of the
NOMEC
Strategy
Its tagline is "working together to understand the depths of Alaska's vast seascape,"
and its central purpose is to
coordinate mapping efforts to completely map U.S. waters off of Alaska deeper than 40m
by 2030 and waters
shallower than 40m by 2040. For more information, see the
fact sheet
and
story
map
Contributing to the campaign goals, in 2023, NOAA and partners conducted a series
of telepresence-enabled ocean exploration expeditions, called the
Seascape
Alaska expeditions
on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to improve knowledge about unexplored and poorly
understood
deepwater areas offshore Alaska, with a particular focus on the Aleutian Islands, Gulf
of Alaska,
and Aleutian Trench.
Related
IWG Activities
The IWG hosted the inaugural Alaska Coastal Mapping Summit in June 2016. For more
information on this summit,
please
. Between 2016 and 2022, four more
mapping summits have been held. For more information on those events and summary
documents, please visit
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Implementation
Plan for the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy, June 2022
Strategy for Mapping the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Shoreline and Nearshore of
Alaska
, June 2020
The
Alaska Mapping Executive Committee (AMEC)
coordinates the modernization of
critical Alaska map layers. Executives from fifteen
federal agencies and Departments and the State meet twice annually to prioritize mapping
objectives. AMEC currently promotes
acquisition of several digital map layers including Imagery, Elevation, Terrestrial
Hydrography, Coastal Shorelines and
Bathymetry, and GRAV-D.
Alaska Geospatial Council
The
Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC)
provides
inter-agency coordination between local, state, federal, tribal, academic and
private organizations on geospatial initiatives. Through effective collaboration the
council aims to improve the
availability and quality of geospatial information and ensure it is publicly available
to support data driven decisions.
The AGC also hosts the
Coastal &
Ocean Technical Working Group
which strives to align coastal and ocean mapping missions with Alaska's people and
programs.
Alaska Ocean Observing System
The mission of
AOOS
is to address regional and national
needs for ocean information, gather specific data on key coastal and ocean variables,
and ensure timely and sustained dissemination and availability of these data.
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
PacIOOS
Voyager
PacIOOS Voyager
is a free,
interactive, online mapping experience. Explore observations, forecasts, and historical
ocean data from the Pacific Islands region. View, combine, save, and download your
choices.
Ocean
Exploration Trust
Several mapping expeditions by the Exploration Vessel Nautilus were conducted since 2018.
Operations are planned for 2025-2028 in this region to expand field work operations in
the U.S. South Pacific territories via collaborative mapping efforts.
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Expanding Pacific Exploration and Research (EXPRESS)
EXPRESS
is a multi-year,
multi-institution
cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington,
including
the continental shelf and slope. For more information, see
West Coast
Ocean Alliance
The
West Coast Ocean Alliance
is a
regional partnership focused on enhanced management and coordination for
the ocean along the West Coast of the U.S.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
MBARI
's mission is to achieve and maintain a
position as a world center for advanced research and education in ocean science and
technology.
Ocean Exploration Trust
Several West Coast mapping expeditions by the Exploration Vessel Nautilus were conducted
between 2015 and 2021. For more information, visit
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Lakebed2030 Initiative
With only 15% of the Great Lakes having high-density maps, the
Lakebed2030 Initiative
includes but is not limited to working to build and test new supporting technologies,
map
all 5 Great Lakes in high-density detail, and educate to inspire innovation and
community action.
Great Lakes Bottom Mapping Working Group
The Great Lakes Bottom Mapping Working Group (BMWG) facilitates the collection,
harmonization, sharing,
and use of continuous high-resolution maps and data about Great Lakes bathymetry,
habitat, maritime cultural
resources, and biology.
Lakebed 2030 TechSurge
Inspired by the Seabed 2030 initiative, the Marine Technology Society Great Lakes Section
and
Northwestern Michigan College host annual
TechSurge
events in the Fall to focus on marine mapping
and observation data; develop a strategy to catalog new and existing lakebed
information; and share
the latest technology developments and advance business development.
As of January 2025, 85% of the U.S. Great Lakes are not mapped to modern standards. This
regional report
identifies bathymetric gaps and the effort NOAA and its federal partners have contributed to fill them.
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Atlantic Seafloor Partnership for Integrated Research and
Exploration (ASPIRE)
ASPIRE
, is a major
multi-year, multi-national collaborative ocean exploration field program focused on
raising collective
knowledge and understanding of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Northeast Regional Ocean Council
The
Northeast Regional Ocean Council
(NROC)
is a state and federal partnership that facilitates the New England
states,
federal agencies, regional organizations, and other interested regional groups in
addressing ocean and coastal issues
that benefit from a regional response.
Mid-Atlantic Governors' Agreement on Ocean Conservation
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the
Ocean
is a partnership of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York,
and Virginia to enhance the vitality of the region's ocean ecosystem and economy.
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Atlantic Seafloor Partnership for Integrated Research and
Exploration (ASPIRE)
ASPIRE
, is a major
multi-year, multi-national collaborative ocean exploration field program focused on
raising collective
knowledge and understanding of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Mid-Atlantic Governors' Agreement on Ocean Conservation
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the
Ocean
is a partnership of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York,
and Virginia to enhance the vitality of the region's ocean ecosystem and economy.
Links to Regional Mapping Resources
Gulf of America Alliance
The
Gulf of America Alliance
is a Regional
Ocean Partnership working to sustain the resources
of the Gulf of America.
Florida Coastal Mapping Program
The
Florida
Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP)
is an initiative between Federal and Florida
State agencies and
institutions to coordinate and facilitate the collection and accessibility of Florida
coastal seafloor data
in order to fill priority areas and gaps.
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