Whether you live hundreds of miles from a coastline or a few steps from the water, ocean, lake and river data plays a significant part in your life. Vessels critical to national security, transporting the food you eat and clothes you wear, and even vacation cruises need to ensure safe passage through the nation’s waterways. Data from NOAA’s uncrewed systems are vital for vessels’ decision making within U.S. coasts and lakes.
NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is usually known for its satellite imagery, especially of hurricanes and other significant storms. But NESDIS also gathers and provides observations, or data from the nation’s waterways, for the shipping and maritime industry to use as well.
Uncrewed Systems (UxS), or autonomous vehicles, are one of these key tools used to collect this data from the waterways, especially underwater areas that are too dangerous for human beings to access. Within NESDIS, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) collects, archives, manages, and provides the data from UxS to the public. They gather vast amounts of data that decision-makers and industries use to enhance the safety and efficiency of vessel transportation.
