State of Hydrographic Capacity for Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection in the Gulf
of Honduras
Provision of adequate hydrographic data and services is critical in ensuring both the sustainable
development of the maritime industry in the Gulf of Honduras and the protection of its marine environment,
including the Mesoamerican barrier reef complex.
I. The Role of Hydrography in the GOH context
Covering nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface, marine and coastal waters are the earth’s largest
and most vital resource, influencing global energy cycles and biological processes upon which all life depends.
Concurrently, ocean and coastal waters serve as the most efficient and hence economical means to move goods.
Ultimately the economic and social well-being, including domestic production and competition in the global
market, affordability of goods and services, and national security, are dependent on a country’s ability to
maintain efficient and safe navigation routes into territorial waters where well managed ports and support
infrastructure keep waterborne commerce and tourism flowing. While the economic, social and political benefits
of efficient maritime commerce are well-recognized, the externalities of this economic activity on the
surrounding coastal and ocean environments as well as the associated direct and indirect costs have been
historically neglected.
It is not surprising then, that a major issue of concern in the Caribbean Sea is the ever-increasing
volume of vessel traffic in the region from several important sources.

Tourism represents 31.1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of the Caribbean region and
provides nearly three million jobs. The majority of the tourists are U.S. citizens and many arrive
by cruise ships.

In addition to commercial traffic, the Caribbean’s warm crystal waters, coral reefs, and beautiful
unique destinations attract recreational boats and yachts under local charter or from the U.S. by
the thousands every year.

By 2020, international maritime trade is expected to double - or even triple.

There is a significant movement of hydrocarbons and chemical products within the Caribbean
Region, including the Gulf of Honduras, that is only expected to increase.
Increasing vessel traffic leads to greater risk of accident or injury to lives, property, and the
environment. As ship size and congestion continue to grow, the need for accurate and up-to-date charts, reliable
traffic management, and marine navigation systems intensifies. This is particularly relevant in the Gulf of
Honduras where limited port accessibility coupled with extremely small vessel draft margins pose the double
threat of squeezed profit margins for the local economies
Hydrography is that branch of applied sciences which
and of impending ecological disaster. It is in precisely
deals with the measurement and description of the
in such an environment that accurate and up-to-date
features of the sea and coastal areas for the primary
purpose of navigation and all other marine purposes and
hydrographic services can make all the difference in
activities including inter alia offshore activities,
avoiding destruction of coastal and marine ecosystems
research, protection of the environment, and prediction
or in improving the livelihoods of the affected
services.
populations.
Many of the Caribbean States, however, do not have the resources, equipment, or expertise to conduct
the necessary hydrographic surveys and to produce nautical charts of even their major ports. In many cases, the
States of the region depend on other Nations, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United
States, to assist them with their most critical hydrographic and cartographic needs. This assistance is of
necessity limited, though, and there are still many national and international waters that lack up-to-date charts or
have no coverage at all. As a result, commercial and cruise vessels risk groundings, accidents, and
environmental damage if they enter or transit these areas. Moreover, where the risk is too great, vessels avoid
ports and harbors regardless of facilities and quality of service they offer, thereby severely impacting the local
economies – a situation well familiar in the Gulf of Honduras.
The role and importance of adequate hydrographic data and services, however, extends well beyond its
significance for maritime commerce and tourism and for navigation safety in the Gulf of Honduras. Looking at
the full spectrum of hydrographic-data-based products, one easily identifies hydrography’s core function in
developing virtually any and every expert application in support of marine and coastal research, management,
and conservation:
Hydrographic support for Biogeography

primary data layer for development of Biogeography and habitat characterization strongly depend on
marine
and
coastal
GIS-based bathymetric data availability. Bathymetry plays a key role in defining
Essential Habitats (EH) by supporting determination of the preferred
environmental information system;
depth at which organisms live. Moreover, species differ in their
preferences for high or low rugosity (terrain roughness) environments.
Thus, the Biogeography Program’s work in the U.S. Caribbean has
demonstrated that fish distribution and terrain profile are closely
correlated and that bathymetry (in the form of coral reef structure) plays
a critical role in defining fish EH as both protection and food source.
This work is now being used for the development of marine protected
areas (MPA).

primary data layers in oceanographic
modeling, non-point source pollution
vector mapping, etc;

primary data layers for oil-spill
management tools, including trajectory
analysis and vulnerability maps;
Similarly essential is the role that bathymetry plays in generating

high resolution data sets fueling
biogeography research and applications
(such as benthic and essential fish habitat
identification and delineation, habitat
suitability modeling, species distribution,
and habitat-change mapping);
benthic and coral reef ecosystem habitat maps from aerial and satellite
imagery – maps that are then used for MPA and coral reef protection
and management activities. The same holds true for the creation of
computerized image analysis software, where bathymetric data is used
in developing mathematical algorithms that control for the light
attenuation by the water column.
As the ongoing oceanographic modeling and research work under the broader Mesoamerican Barrier
Reef System (MBRS) initiative has demonstrated, adequate hydrographic data is a key building block for
oceanographic modeling and research. The lack
Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC)
of such data for the Gulf of Honduras makes
The ENC is a “smart chart” that gives the user much more valuable, accurate,
it difficult to approximate and test coastal
and complete information than traditional charts. Built to international
boundary conditions and to integrate
standards, ENCs are an extremely accurate and detailed chart database that
oceanographic and watershed dynamics
can be displayed by electronic charting systems aboard ships. ENCs store an
models. This is especially true in the case of
actual chart feature, its latitude and longitude, and other descriptive
information. ENCs are produced using digitized vector data that contains
near-coastal waters and the waters between
descriptive and positioning characteristics allowing the electronic chart
the coast and MBRS in particular.
Past experience in the Mediterranean,
the Black, and the Red Seas has also taught
us that acquiring adequate hydrographic
information is a critical factor in determining
success or failure when analyzing pollution
contingencies and building regional capacity
for transboundary response to oil spills and
other contaminants. Moreover, failure to
integrate capacity building in areas such as
coastal and marine vulnerability mapping and
software to recognize features, water depths, and accurate geographic
positions and provide a warning if a course correction is required. A
navigation system using an ENC would "know" that a dangerous wreck is in
the path of a vessel, as well as how much water covers the wreck. In fact,
most maritime experts agree that if an ENC-fueled electronic chart system
were operational on the bridge of the Exxon Valdez disaster could have been
averted. An ENC system can also check planned routes to see if they cross
or pass too near obstructions, sound alarms if a vessel strays too close to
dangerous features like a shallow area, and inform the mariner about
warnings and regulations in transit areas. Importantly, the ENC represents a
major step in providing essential data to mariners and other users such as
information on pollution restrictions, protected or fragile marine habitats,
endangered species, etc.
trajectory analysis with hydrographic capacity building has invariably resulted in a waste of resources over the
long run.
Finally, the juxtaposition of the state of navigation and the state of available hydrographic coverage and
capacity in the Gulf of Honduras makes it paramount that one looks not only at existing hydrographic
information but also look at the region’s immediate and future data acquisition and chart production needs.
Serious safety and environmental risks can be mitigated by the provision of accurate charts and navigation
services that evolve from paper charts in the short run to Electronic Navigation Charts fueling the dual needs of
safe navigation and of environmentally sustainable marine habitat and resource management (Appendix 2
offers web links with examples of hydrographic data and ENC multiple uses in the United States).
II. Hydrographic Surveys and Data Availability in the Region
Due to the lack of national capacity, hydrographic data acquisition and product development in most of
Latin America in general and the Gulf of Honduras in particular, to-date those functions have been mainly
carried out under bilateral agreements with the US, UK, and other foreign hydrographic offices. Over time, this
has resulted in

discontinuity

lack of uniform reliability, and

data inaccessibility
that now hampers not only the economic development in the region but also its environmental management and
habitat protection efforts. A particularly pervasive problem in this respect is the lack of electronic data and the
capacity to produce such data and derive from it value-added products that support both navigation safety and
resource conservation and management objectives.
Fig 2.1
1998 - 2002 Large Scale
1977 - 1998 Large Scale
1998 - 2002 Medium/Small Scale
1977 - 1998 Medium/Small Scale
Fig. 2.1 offers guidance on hydrographic surveys carried on in the Gulf of Honduras over the periods
1977-1998 and 1998-2002 as well as to the availability of both large and medium-to-small scale source data
sets. Time delineation is significant since source data from the 70s and part of the 80s has not been compiled to
meet today’s requirements for geo-spatial requirements, including data density. That data is also not available in
digital format and therefore largely unsuitable for non-navigation applications. Importantly, natural accretion
processes and extreme weather events such as the 1998 Hurricane Mitch bring about sometimes significant
changes in the coastal area bottom that render old data compilations obsolete and even dangerous.
Furthermore, since most of the above depicted surveys were done under bilateral agreements by the US
Navy Hydrographic Office (NAVOCEANO) and compiled into nautical charts by the US National Imagery and
Mapping Agency (NIMA), not all source data is necessarily available with the respective coastal states or, if
available, it is not in electronic format. The same holds true for the nautical charts derived from that data.
Keeping this in mind, the table below provides inventory on survey/data availability on State-by-State basis:
Table 2.1
State
Coastal
Surveys
Ports, harbors and approaches
Belize
Guatemala
Port/Area
Source Data
availability
Digital
coverage
Survey information/ Surveying needs
Belize City Harbor
Big Creek
In-country
Unknown
100%
Unknown
Puerto Barrios
Puerto Santo Thomas
de Castilla
Bahia Manabique and
approaches
Puerto Cortez
In-country
In-country
0%
0%
Surveyed by Belize 1998, 2002 IHO
Order1 single beam and side scan sonar;
data gaps exist in Harbor area and strategic
charting plan needed for future port
infrastructure development and
navigational safety.
Inadequate coverage: most recent data from
1979.
All areas need to be re-surveyed
In-country
0%
In-country
100%
Puerto Cortez
Approaches
In-country
100%
Tela
La Ceiba
Puerto Castia /
Trujillo
Bay Islands
In-country
In-country
In-country
0%
100%
100%
In-country
Coast-wide survey
(red band on fig 1.1)
In-country
100% in
limited
areas
0%
Honduras
Honduras
Surveyed by Honduras (ENP) May 1998
IHO order2, single beam and side scan
sonar; does not meet international
standards. Additionally dredging activity
and Hurricane Mitch have affected the
harbor area since last survey
Surveyed by Honduras (ENP) in June 1999
IHO order2 single beam, does not meet
international standards.
Needs to be re-surveyed
Being surveyed (ENP) IHO order unknown
Surveyed (ENP) IHO order unknown
Coxen Hole, French Harbor Roatan
surveyed by ENP 2002 IHO 2 single beam
and side scan sonar.
An 1984-85 survey carried out by the US.
Only some of the data could be used for
conversion into digital format.
III. Institutions Involved in Hydrographic work in the Region
Table 2.1
Country
Guatemala
Honduras
Belize
Institutions Involved in Hydrographic work
Ministry of Defense
Guatemalan Navy
Instituto Geografico Nacional
Empresa Portuatria Quetzal
Empresa Portuaria Nacional
Instituto Geografico Nacional
Unknown
IHO Membership
Member
Not a member
Not a member
IV. Nautical Chart Availability in the Region
Table 4.1
Country
Source
Belize
NIMA
No. 28167
Ambergris Cay To Pelican Cays
1:150,000
NIMA
IGN,
Guatemalla
IGN,
Guatemalla
NIMA
NIMA
No. 28168
Gua-02
Belice City Harbor
Rio Dulce To Livingston
1:40,000
1:7,500
Gua-03
1:15,000
NIMA
No. 28165
NIMA
No. 28161
Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla To
Puerto Barrios
Teta To Pelican Cays
Approaches To Puerto Barrios And
Santo Tomas De Castilla
(Guatemala – Belize)
Puerto Barrios And Santo Tomas
De Castilla De Galvez (Guatemala
East-Coast)
Puerto De Teta And Approache
Puerto De Teta
NIMA
No. 28163
1:20,000
NIMA
NIMA
NIMA
No. 28143
No. 28142
NO.28144
Approaches To Puerto Cortes (Gulf
of Honduras)
Isla De Utila (Honduras)
Puerto Castilla
Port Of La Ceiba
NIMA
NIMA
NIMA
No. 28151
No.28150
A-B
No. 28140
Approaches To Puerto Castilla
1:80,000
Teta Tobarra De Caratasca (Omega) 1:300,000
1:20,000
Northem Reaches To Cabo Gracias 1:125,000
De Dios
NIMA
No. 28125
NIMA
No. 28154
Caribbean Sea Honduras Isla De
Guanaja
Approaches To La Ceiba
Guatemala
Chart No
No. 28162
No. 28164
Honduras
AREA
Scale
1:150,000
1:50,000
Comments
Source data from1978;
outdated geo-reference
Source data from 1979
Source data from 1965
with limited update in
1995
1:15,000
1:15,000
1:37,420
1:20,000
1:15,000
1:35,000
1:80,000
All of the above listed charts are available only in paper format. A case-by-case special request from the Coastal
State is necessary for NIMA charts to be converted to a digital format or/and released. Cost of such conversion
ranges from $20,000 to $ 40,000 per chart.
V.
Existing International laws and regulations, specifically regarding marine transport:
All three States involved in the Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport Pollution Control in
the Gulf of Honduras Project are Parties to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). As
outlined in the table below, while there is more to be desired in terms of the three States’ accession to a number
of International Maritime Organization (IMO)-sanctioned conventions on navigation safety and marine
protection, particularly as related to oil spills, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras are also Parties to the key
MARPOL 73/78 and Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) conventions. SOLAS Chapter V on Safety of Navigation,
Regulation 9, in particular sets the mandate and legal precedent for hydrographic capacity building at national
and regional levels by requiring that Contracting Parties provide hydrographic services and co-ordinate and
cooperated their efforts.
x
Belize
Guatemala
Honduras
VI.
x x x
x x x x
x x x x x
x
x
x x
x
x x x x
x
x
x
x x x x
x
x
x
x x x
x
x
x
x
x
x x x
Anti Fouling 01
OPRC/HNS 2000
Bunkers Convention 01
HNS Convention 96
OPRC Convention 90
FUND Protocol 92
FUND Protocol 76
FUND Convention 71
CLC Protocol 92
CLC Protocol 76
CLC Convention 69
INTERVENTION Convention 69
London Convention Protocol 96
London Convention 72
MARPOL Protocol 97 (Annex VI)
MARPOL 73/78 (Annex V)
MARPOL 73/78 (Annex IV)
MARPOL 73/78 (Annex III)
MARPOL 73/78 (Annex I/II)
INMARSAT Convention 76
SAR Convention 79
STCW Convention 78
SFV Protocol 93
CSC Convention 72
COLREG Convention 72
TONNAGE Convention 69
LOAD LINES Protocol 88
LOAD LINES Convention 66
Stockholm Agreement 96
SOLAS Protocol 88
SOLAS Protocol 78
SOLAS Convention 74
IMO amendments 93
IMO amendments 91
IMO Convention 48
Table 5.1
x
Hydrographic capacity and Gap Analysis in the Gulf of Honduras
As a regional arm of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Mesoamerican and
Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC) looks to facilitate sustainable capacity development and
technology transfer that will stimulate the collection of quality hydrographic data based on international
standards for navigation safety and protection of the marine environment. Based on the potentially positive
impact of the proposed Gulf of Honduras project on hydrographic activity for the region, the MACHC has taken
the opportunity to review the current hydrographic capacity for the three countries of interest, Belize,
Guatemala, and Honduras. The goal of the review was to determine if the current capacity for hydrographic
surveying including institutional capacity, product production and information flow was sufficient to meet
international standards along with the purported goals and objectives of the proposed project; we consider these
to not be mutually exclusive. The findings would then be synthesized based on a country’s ability to meet the
standards of the International Hydrographic Organization and where necessary make recommendations that
could provide direction for the development of hydrographic capabilities congruent with IHO standards and the
goals and objectives of the proposed GOH project.
Methodology: The information below was collected by means of an open-ended questionnaire survey (appendix
A) that was distributed to strategic points of contact in each country. The survey queried the country across a
spectrum of information that the commission considers essential for a sustainable hydrographic effort including:
existing institutional capacity (national and regional), current data availability, quality, and accessibility,
Technical equipment and personnel proficiency for the collection of hydrographic data, and the technical
equipment and personnel proficiency for product production and information assimilation and dissemination.
The survey focused on the national needs as well as those for the priority ports of the proposed project. Each
country with the exception of Belize filled out the survey and the information was compiled into the matrix that
preceded the filled out questionnaire. The completed surveys are available in English and Spanish. From
Guatemala El Capitan de Fragata Tyrone Rene Hidalgo Caceres completed the questionnaire, from Honduras
the Director of the National Port Authority (ENP) completed the survey, and from Belize Mr. Brent von
Twistern from the U.S Naval Oceanographic Office completed the questionnaire based upon his experience
during hydrographic surveys with the Belize government in 1998, and 2002. The information for Belize should
be considered preliminary and it is the hope of this commission to have the matrix completed by all the relevant
ministries within Belize when the opportunity presents itself.
GOH Project: Hydrographic component gap analysis -- Belize
Personnel
Training needed
Training needed
Workstations needed
Workstations needed
Workstations needed
Training needed
Technical
Personnel
Personnel and training
Technical
Data
Geog. focus
National level
Hydrographic equipment
suite needed
Personnel and training
One
worker at
the
MNREI
Personnel and training
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Requires a
hydrographic
survey to meet
internatinal
standards
Hydrographic equipment
suite needed
No vessel
Requires a
hydrographic
survey to meet
internatinal
standards
Product
dev.
Hydrographic
equipment suite
needed
One
worker
at the
MNREI
Belize Ctiy
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Data
acquisition
Big Creek
(Bahia Matique)
Institutional
capacity
Devlopment of National hydrogrraphic commission to coordinate efforts amoung
Ministries and Internationally funded projects in Belize. Development of national
policy and mandates to allocate resources
Personnel
proficiency
Inadequate
Related initiatives
Limited
products
available
No digital
data
None
Refer to
Table 2.1
No vessel
Inadequate
Data
available
digital
format some
data gaps
exist
One
worker at
the
MNREI
Inadequate
Refer to
Table 2.1
No
Hydrographic
equipment
None
Do not have
national or
strategic
charting
plan
Technical
equipment
No vessel
None
Refer to
Table 2.1
Product
development
Personnel
proficiency
Data acquisition
Technical
equipment
Geog. focus
Data
availability,
quality,
accessibility,
etc.
None
MNREI and Port rely on
International Survey Division
(HYCOOP) at the U.S Naval
Oceanographic Office for
equipment, software and
technical assistance. Contract
surveys provide data to port
authority
National level
Port Authority and Ministry of
Natural Resources Environment
and Industry (MNREI) survey,
Port Authority maintains data;
institutions conduct survey
work independently do not
share resources. No Current
effort to integrate through
National hydrographic
commission
Belize City
No affiliation with IHO or
MACHC party to SOLAS,
UNCLOS and MARPOL 73/78
Needs
Big Creek
Existing Capabilities
Institutional capacity
(mandates, organizations,
coordination, access, resources,
ability to perform and deliver,
etc.)
GOH Project: Hydrographic component gap analysis -- Guatemala
Personnel
Workstations needed
Training needed
Workstations needed
Training needed
Workstations needed
Hydrographic equipment
suite needed
Requires a
hydrographic
survey to meet
internatinal
standards
Hydrographic equipment
suite needed
Requires a
hydrographic
survey to meet
internatinal
standards
Training needed
Technical
Personnel
Technical
Product
dev.
Hydrographic equipment
suite needed
Data
Geog. focus
National level
Puerto Barrios
Personnel
proficiency
Data
acquisition
Puerto Santo Tomas
(Bahia Matique)
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Four
officers
Six
sailors;
Four
workers at
Port
Institutional
capacity
Limited
products
available
No digital
data
Navy vessels
Continue work with National Hydrographic Commission to further working
relationships in hydrography both natinally with links to the region
Refer to
Table 2.1
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Four
officers
Six
sailors;
Four
workers at
Port
Related initiatives
Limited
products
available
No digital
data
Navy vessels
None
Refer to
Table 2.1
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Inadequate
Do not have
strategic
charting
plan
Inadequate
Four
officers
Six
sailors;
Four
workers at
Port
Technical
equipment
Navy vessels
None
Personnel
proficiency
Refer to
Table 2.1
None
Technical
equipment
Geog. focus
Data acquisition
Inadequate
Working with COCATRAM to
look for economic support
within the European community
Product
development
Data
availability,
quality,
accessibility,
etc.
None
Navy relies on International
Survey Division (HYCOOP) at
the U.S Naval Oceanographic
Office; Port Authority has
Budget
National level
Navy and Port Authority
survey, Port Authority
maintains data; institutions
conduct survey work
independently do not share
resources. Current effort to
integrate through National
hydrographic commission
Puerto Barrios
IHO member state and party to
SOLAS, UNCLOS and
MARPOL 73/78
Needs
Puerto Santo Tomas
Existing Capabilities
Institutional capacity
(mandates, organizations,
coordination, access, resources,
ability to perform and deliver,
etc.)
GOH Project: Hydrographic component gap analysis -- Honduras
Training needed
Training needed
Workstations needed
Technical
Personnel
Product
dev.
Workstations needed
Personnel
Six workers
Data
Geog. focus
Institutional
capacity
Technical
Six workers
Planned surveys
Personnel
proficiency
Inadequate
National level
Requires a
hydrographic
survey to meet
international
standards
Hydrographic equipment suite
needed
The National
Port Authority
relies on
HYCOOP for
equipment and
contracted vessel
time
Six
workers
from the
Port
Hydrographic equipment suite needed
Including hardware and software
No
Hydrographic
equipment
Data
acquisition
Puerto Cortes
Puerto Santo Tomas
(Bahia Matique)
Data does
not meet
IHO
standards for
Harbors
No vessel
Organizational policy and mandates need to be developed at the national level to
support capacity building, and resurce needs for hydrographic surveys; national and
regional coordination
Data is
available
and in
Digital
format
Six
workers
from the
Port
Inadequate
Refer to
Table 2.1
Technical
equipment
have a
national
charting
plan
no strategic
charting
plan
No
Hydrographic
equipment
None
No vessel
Product
development
Personnel
proficiency
Refer to
Table 2.1
Technical
equipment
Data acquisition
None
Port Authority relies has a
budget but counts on
International Survey Division
(HYCOOP) at the U.S Naval
Oceanographic Office for
equipment, software and
technical assistance and the U.S
National Imaging and Mapping
Agency (NIMA) for chart
production
Puerto Cortes
Port Authority collects,
processes, disseminates
hydrographic data
National level
Associate IHO member state
and party to SOLAS, UNCLOS
and MARPOL 73/78
Data
availability,
quality,
accessibility,
etc.
Related initiatives
Needs
Geog. focus
Existing Capabilities
Institutional capacity
(mandates, organizations,
coordination, access, resources,
ability to perform and deliver,
etc.)
GOH Project: Hydrographic component gap analysis – Summary findings
Belize
Institutional capacity
Data gaps
Survey technical
capacity
ENC development
Marine GIS/ Other
product development
~
V
partial gaps
major gaps
Guatemala
Honduras
V
V
V
V
V
major ports
~
V
~
coastal areas
V
V
V
vessels
V
equipment
V
V
V
skills
V
V
V
skills
V
V
V
equipment
V
V
V
skills
V
V
V
equipment
V
V
V
mandates and policies
V
resources
V
organizations
V
coordination & collaboration
V
Related initiatives
Personnel
proficiency
National level
Personnel
Data
acquisition
Technical
Personnel
Product
development
Technical
Data
Geog. focus
Institutional capacity
Data acquisition / Product development / Updates /
Institutional alignment / Dissemination and access
Data acquisition
Technical
equipment
Personnel
proficiency
Technical
equipment
Geog. focus
Data
availabili
ty,
quality,
accessibi
lity, etc.
Electronic chart data for navigation safely
and GIS conversion capacity for other uses
National level
Existing Capabilities
Institutional
capacity
(mandates,
organizations,
coordination,
access,
resources,
ability to
perform and
deliver, etc.)
Puerto Cortez
Puerto Cortez
APPENDIX 1
GOH Project: Hydrographic component gap analysis
Needs
Product dev.
EXISTING NATIONAL CAPABILITIES
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
(sample questions)

Existing mandates/laws/policies for the collection and processing of hydrographic data and for chart production?

Organization(s) responsible for 1) data collection, 2) data analysis and processing, 3) chart production, 4) data and chart dissemination?

If more than one organization:
o what is the relationship? Reporting hierarchy?
o what is the effectiveness of communication, coordination, and cooperation that exists between the several responsible entities?
o Are resources shared with other agencies (e.g., mapping, surveying), and if so, how is data accessed? Please describe.

Sources and availability of operational and research and development budget/resources for the individual organizations?

Is mapping and/or survey data acquired by commercial survey activities also provided to government agencies? If so, how is it accessed and
processed?

Does your country have a national survey and/or charting plan? If so, please provide a copy or provide a brief description..

Capacity (including resources) to meet national survey/charting priorities?

Capacity to identify means of improving shortfalls in training/equipment?

Regional and international cooperative agreements and assistance sources?

Other relevant information?
DATA
(Please answer these questions regarding data availability at the 1) national level and 2) for Puerto Cortez specifically)

Have hydrographic surveying priorities been established at national level or within a regional context

Source data availability by 1) area, 2) time of surveys, 3) survey methods, 4) quality (does it meet International Hydrographic Organization standards?),
5) format (digital/paper)?

Status of information flow and updates to charts?

Source data accessibility?

Existing data not yet charted

Data sharing provisions if any?

Data sharing arrangement?

Hydrographic products availability and accessibility?

Experience with non-navigation use of hydrographic data and related sharing agreements if any?

Other information?
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could be specifically dedicated to work on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term)
At the national level:

How many vessels are available to perform hydrograhpic surveying?

Who owns or operates them?

What kind of hydrograhpic survey equipment is instaled?





multibeam sonar
side-scan sonar
single-beam sonar
GPS, Differential GPS
tide gages
For Puerto Cortez specifically:

How many vessels are available to perform hydrographic surveying?

Who owns or operates them?

What kind of hydrographic survey equipment is installed?





multibeam sonar
side-scan sonar
single-beam sonar
GPS, Differential GPS
tide gages
EXISTING PERSONNEL TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could be specifically dedicated to work on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term)
How many trained personnel at the national level are available to:

Acquire hydrographic data?

Process and validate the data?

Please describe the current level of personnel expertise or level of training required to operate the equipment listed in the previous section
For Puerto Cortez, how many trained personnel are available to:

Acquire hydrographic data?

Process and validate the data?

Please describe the current level of personnel expertise or level of training required to operate the equipment listed in the previous section
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR ENC AND MARINE GIS DEVELOPMENT
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could be specifically dedicated to work on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term)
What equipment is available at national level to:








Process the data?
Produce paper nautical charts?
Capture S-57 data where necessary from source material for conversion to ENC.
Data validation?
Produce electronic navigational charts?
Maintain charts?
Conduct training as required?
Data conversion for GIS and modeling applications
 computer hardware
 GIS software
 Database management tools

Data access and client outreach/cultivation
What is the currently available equipment that can be dedicated for work specifically on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term:









Process the data?
Produce paper nautical charts?
Capture S-57 data where necessary from source material for conversion to ENC.
Data validation?
Produce electronic navigational charts?
Maintain charts?
Conduct training as required?
Data conversion for GIS and modeling applications
 computer hardware
 GIS software
 Database management tools
Data access and client outreach/cultivation
EXISTING PERSONNEL TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY FOR ENC AND MARINE GIS DEVELOPMENT
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could be specifically dedicated to work on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term)
How many trained personnel at the national level are available to:









Process the survey data?
Produce paper nautical charts?
Capture S-57 data where necessary from source material for conversion to ENC.
Data validation?
Produce electronic navigational charts?
Maintain charts?
Conduct training as required?
Data conversion for GIS and modeling applications
Data access and client outreach/cultivation
For Puerto Cortez, how many trained personnel are available to:









Process the survey data?
Produce paper nautical charts?
Capture S-57 data where necessary from source material for conversion to ENC.
Data validation?
Produce electronic navigational charts?
Maintain charts?
Conduct training as required?
Data conversion for GIS and modeling applications
Data access and client outreach/cultivation
RELATED INITIATIVES

Planned and ongoing survey activities? Status?

Planned and ongoing product development activities? Status?

National and/or regional cooperative discussions/initiatives?
GAPS and NEEDS
Following the Master Matrix above, please expand below on the information required by the individual boxes at both national level and Port-specific level
(including in terms of approaches to the access channels, access channels, and turning basins). The two key areas to consider when identifying gaps and needs
are Safety of navigation AND capacity to support Marine GIS and Environmental information system. Specific consideration has to be given to:
 Data acquisition needs
 Product development needs
 Information flow and chart update needs
 Institutional alignment needs

Data/Product dissemination and access needs
I.
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
(sample questions)






II.
Statutory needs?
Structural needs?
Resource needs?
Inter-organizational communication and coordination needs?
Capacity to identify and work with user communities?
Etc.
DATA
(Please answer these questions regarding data acquisition gaps and needs at the 1) national level and 2) for Puerto Cortez specifically)
III.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that is needed to cover Puerto Cortez within the short-to-medium term)
What are the current limitations and/or future needs required to support other governmental activities such as marine environmental protection, coastal zone
management, oil spill contingency planning, natural resource/ecological database



Equipment needed
Training of personnel (indicate what areas)
other?
For Puerto Cortez, what are the gaps or future needs in order to fully support navigation safety?



Equipment needed
Training of personnel (indicate what areas)
other?
What are the current limitations and/or future needs required to support other governmental activities such as marine environmental protection, coastal zone
management, oil spill contingency planning, natural resource/ecological database
IV.
EXISTING PERSONNEL TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that are necessary to cover Puerto Cortez within the short-to-medium term)
How many trained personnel at the national level are available to:


Acquire hydrographic data?
Process the data?
At the national level, what are the gaps or future needs in order to fully support navigation safety and provide hydrographic information for non-navigation
purposes (oil spill contingency planning, marine environmental GIS?)
For Puerto Cortez, how many trained personnel are available to:


Acquire hydrographic data?
Process the data?
For Puerto Cortez, what are the gaps or future needs in order to fully support navigation safety and provide hydrographic information for non-navigation
purposes (oil spill contingency planning, marine environmental GIS?)
V.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT NEEDS FOR ENC AND MARINE GIS DEVELOPMENT
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could need to be specifically dedicated to cover Puerto Cortez within the short-tomedium term)
Workstations?
VI.
PERSONNEL TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY NEEDS FOR ENC AND MARINE GIS DEVELOPMENT
(Please answer these questions for 1) national level and 2) resources that could be specifically dedicated to work on Puerto Cortez in the short-to-medium term)
Training?
APPENDIX 2
US National Ocean Service Hydrographic Data and Electronic Navigational Carts (ENC) Dual Use for
Coastal Managers
Uses of Hydrographic Survey Data:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/hydro.html
Applications: migration and habitat studies of fish and marine mammals; delineation of bottom features for
commercial fishermen; earthquake and fault studies; sediment and pollutant studies; studies of storm surge and
tsunami effects; oil, gas and mineral exploration; coastal planning and ecosystem evaluations; color imaging and
animation (fly-by).
Integrated Bathymetric/Topographic/Shoreline:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/BathyTopo
A user-friendly tool that blends bathymetric and topographic data sets into a digital elevation model. It can
support storm surge modeling, hurricane evacuation planning, port management, habitat restoration planning,
storm impact analysis, permitting, setback lines (exclusions zones) assessment and determination, boundary
determination, environmental and natural resource analysis, coastal erosion analysis, etc.
Nautical Chart Extension for ArcView 3.x:
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/chartview
The NOAA navigational charts displayed as images can provide a useful background layer for ocean and coastal
geographic information system (GIS) Projects. A problem for the GIS community has been that the current BSB
format was not widely supported by mapping software vendors. To address the issue of viewing these BSB
images in a common desktop GIS, a freely distributed ArcView® 3.x extension has been created that allows the
desktop GIS users to read a BSB-formatted chart.
Digital NOAA Nautical Chart ReProjections:
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/Products/chartreproj
A stand-alone application has been developed to reProject digital NOAA nautical charts. This application is a
companion to an ArcView® extension, chartviewer, developed to allow the display of BSB format nautical
charts in ArcView®. An extension has been developed to read a BSB format file, re-project it to users
specification, and output a new BSB or TIFF format file. Included is the ability to change datum.
Electronic Navigational Charts:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm
A fully integrated vector base maps for use in geographic information systems (GIS) that are needed for coastal
management or other purposes. The NOAA ENCs are in the International Hydrographic Office (IHO) S-57
international exchange format and comply with the NOAA ENC Product Specification.
Coastal Map Data Layer:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov
Designed to provide public access to an up-to-date, digital, and geo-referenced coastal map data layer and to
support NOAA’s strategic goal of sustaining healthy coasts. These non-proprietary navigational chart images
are to be used as backdrops for GIS-derived products and to provide a clear view of the basic topographic and
hydrographic data of all near-shore geographic areas of the U.S. The Coastal Map Series is produced directly
from the current editions of NOS nautical charts with all the navigational symbols and aids removed. They are
prepared as geo-referenced TIF images.
Extracted Vector Shoreline:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov
Designed to provide shoreline data to a variety of users in an industry standard format. Digital vector data is
extracted from current nautical charts and includes both mean high water lines and mean low water lines to
produce a complete data set. Formatted for standard GIS queries and functionality.
Marine Modeling and Analysis Programs (MMAP) forecasting:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/csdl/op/welcome.html
Develops, improves, and applies analytical methods and numerical techniques for the analysis, simulation and
real-time forecasting of oceanographic (e.g. water levels, currents, temperature, salinity), atmospheric (e.g.
winds, sea level pressure, temperature, relative humidity) and water quality (e.g. dissolved oxygen, nutrients,
sediment transport) parameters in support of the NOS mission of providing accurate information on these
variables for U.S. estuarine and coastal marine areas.
Query Manager:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cpr/qm/qm.htm
A database program that can be used to access sediment chemistry (surface and subsurface), sediment toxicity,
and tissue chemistry data for individual watersheds. The selected data can be immediately displayed on maps
and/or saved in a variety of formats for use with other mapping software or other applications.
Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi/esiintro.html
ESI maps serve as quick references for oil and chemical spill responders and coastal zone managers. They
contain information on sensitive biological resources, such as seabird colonies and marine mammal hauling
grounds, and sensitive human-use resources, such as water intakes, marinas, and beaches.
Using maps to evaluate environmental tradeoffs
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi/exercise/index.html
Instructions and materials for an exercise to plan a protection strategy for an oil spill threatened coastline.
Software for oil spills:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/software/software.html
Software for oil spill responders and planners, including trajectory models.
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS):
http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/d_ports.html
Provides ship masters and pilots with accurate real-time information required to avoid groundings and
collisions. PORTS® includes centralized data acquisition and dissemination systems that provide real-time
water levels, currents, and other oceanographic and meteorological data from bays and harbors to the maritime
user community in a variety of user friendly formats, including telephone voice response and Internet.
United States Coast Pilots:
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/nsd/coastpilot.htm
The U.S. Coast Pilots consist of a series of nautical books that cover a variety of information important to
navigators of coastal and intracoastal waters and the Great Lakes. Issued in nine volumes, they contain
supplemental information that is difficult to portray on a nautical chart. Topics in the Coast Pilot include channel
descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features,
pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, smallcraft facilities, and Federal regulations applicable to navigation.