The Federal Geographic Data Committee's Subcommittee on Bathymetric and Nautical Charting Data’s primary mission is to develop and promote that aspect of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) that supports the marine navigation and coastal zone geographic information system (GIS) community. Support will be accomplished through the development of data, metadata, standards, data exchange agreements, and data quality issues. The subcommittee supports the overall goals and missions of the FGDC by participating on several working groups and subcommittees that have an interest in coastal and marine geographic data issues. The Subcommittee is an active member of the Standards Working Group and the Framework Working Group.
The subcommittee meets formally approximately four times a year in the Washington, D.C. area. Additionally, the subcommittee sponsors a number of community meetings and outreach workshops throughout the country during the year. To enhance communications, the subcommittee has a home page on the World Wide Web at the following URL http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ocs/text/bathy.htm. The homepage is in the process of being updated and will be housed at the NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC) starting in March of 2000.
Significant 1999 Accomplishments:
(in the format of the NSDI Strategic Plan)
Goal One: Increase the awareness and understanding of the vision, concept, and benefits of the NSDI through outreach and education
Members of the Bathymetric Subcommittee hosted, conducted, or participated in outreach meetings and workshops with the coastal and ocean community. This has taken various forms including teaching hands-on metadata classes targeted at this community, presenting workshops and seminars on metadata, publishing papers on coastal data within the NSDI, and facilitating community involvement in the NSDI.
A few selected highlights of the committee participation are:
1. Held four, two-day metadata workshops for the National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Program and for participants in the National Demonstration Project.
2. Presented an FGDC metadata overview at the Coastal GeoTools Conference in April, 1999.
3. Presented an FGDC metadata overview to the National Ocean Service (NOS) Senior Management Council.
4. Conducted a quarterly Bathymetric Subcommittee meeting on November 30, 1999.
5. Updating Shore and Sea Boundaries by Aaron L. Shalowitz.
6. Updating the Coastal Mapping Handbook, which is a primer about mapping along the coast.
Goal Two: Develop common solutions for discovery, access, and use of geographic data in response to the needs of diverse communities
1. Continued to support data conversion, digitizing, formatting, and data quality efforts for coastal zone GIS data -- especially shoreline and bathymetric data.
2. Continued to work on a "Shoreline Profile" to the FGDC metadata standard to support information necessary shoreline and related data sets (standard is now in public review).
3. Continued to develop the Hydrographic Data Content Standard for Inland and Coastal Waterways.
4. Continued to develop Part 5 of the NSDI Data Accuracy Standard: Hydrographic Data Accuracy Standard.
5. Provided technical assistance to affected agencies and offices to implement the FGDC metadata standard.
6. Supported state efforts to develop coastal and ocean data within the NSDI.
7. Marketed the NSDI to the state with respect to coastal and ocean data.
8. Assisted state and local FGDC CAP, Clearinghouse, and Framework grant recipients with data issues relative to the coastal zone.
9. Sent out a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) to cost share in developing hydrographic data.
Goal Three: Use community-based approaches to develop and maintain common collections of geospatial data for sound decision making
1. Developing a plan for the NSDI shoreline data layer to become part of the FGDC NSDI framework data.
2. Continuing to develop the Ocean Planning Information Systems (OPIS). OPIS provides easy access to comprehensive ocean-related data, metadata and other information.
3. Initiated the Topo/Bathy project designed to produce a high-resolution, seamless digital database, from elevation down to bathymetry, including the shoreline.
4. The FGDC Cadastral Data Content Standard was extended to include marine cadastral data.
Goal Four: Build Relationships among organizations to support the continuing development of the NSDI
1. Continued to maintain an email directory of 200+ GIS experts working in the coastal zone.
2. Worked with members of the private sector, GIS vendors on issues relating to shoreline and bathymetric data.
3. Worked with state, county, and local organizations that are developing NSDI coastal framework data and implementing standards.
4. Built interagency collaboration between Department of Interior, Department of Commerce and the State Department on marine cadastral data issues.