NOAA’S ROLE IN THE NATION’S MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM:
PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT MOVES AMERICA

May 22, 2006 — The first transoceanic voyage by an American steamship occurred on May 22, 1819, when the steamship Savannah left its homeport of Savannah, Ga., on its way to England, an important landmark in the evolution of the nation’s marine transportation system. Today, few people realize that that day now marks National Maritime Day, let alone the scope and value of the nation’s marine transportation system which impacts everyone — everyday.

NOAA’s marine transportation products and services support the nation’s MTS in many ways. In fact, NOAA’s role in marine transportation dates to 1807, when Thomas Jefferson ordered a survey of the young nation’s coast to insure safe transit for foreign ships calling on U.S. ports. To do this he created the Survey of the Coast (the predecessor to the nation’s nautical charting and geodetic survey offices, which are now known as NOAA’s Navigation Services and collectively includes the NOAA Office of Coast Survey, the NOAA National Geodetic Survey and the NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services). The Organic Act of 1807 authorized the newly formed coastal survey agency to construct and maintain the nation's nautical charts, making it the oldest scientific organization in the United States. In fact, NOAA will celebrate its 200th anniversary next year (2007).

Today, one of NOAA’s strategic mission goals is to support the nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation. This goal encompasses all forms of transportation, including air and surface, but ocean travel and related commerce offer a particular set of challenges. Obviously, improving nautical charts, tide and current observations, weather forecasts and other NOAA environmental information make sea travel much safer. Also important, however, is ensuring that port operations/development and marine transit proceed efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner. In the end, reducing the risk of marine accidents and oil spills, better search and rescue capabilities, and other efficiencies from improved navigation, coastal and ocean information and services could be worth $300 million dollars annually to the nation’s coasts.

The Nation’s Marine Transportation System
The Marine Transportation System — a complex, interdependent network of navigatable waterways, ports, equipment and intermodal connectors (roadways, rail, and pipelines) for the movement of freight, military and passengers — is a vital public-private partnership that makes up an essential component of the nation's transportation network. It also serves as an intermodal hub, linking water and surface transportation (rail, air, road and pipeline) and provides tens of millions of Americans (directly and indirectly) with employment. The nation also relys on safe marine transportation to provide mobility, to enjoy recreational opportunities and to protect the marine environment.

The nation’s MTS is the world’s most extensive system for moving cargo and people safely and reliably. It gives American businesses competitive access to suppliers and markets worldwide, making the United States the world’s leading maritime trading nation. More than 78 percent of the nation’s overseas trade by volume and 38 percent by value comes and goes by ship, including nine million barrels of imported oil daily. Furthermore, waterborne cargo alone contributes more than $742 billion dollars to the U.S. GDP and creates employment for more than 13 million citizens. In addition to being important to the nation’s economy, infrastructure and competitiveness, the U.S. military also relies on the MTS for national defense and deployment missions.

In 1998, Congress directed the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with NOAA and other federal agencies, to assess the adequacy of the nation’s MTS. The resulting report, “An Assessment of the U.S. Marine Transportation System: A Report to Congress,” concluded that, although the MTS functions fairly well, it is a stressed system and the infrastructure is inadequate to meet anticipated future demands:

• Many ports are operating at or near capacity.
• The total volume of domestic and international marine trade is expected to more than double over the next 20 years.
• Modern, larger vessels often exceed capabilities of ports to accommodate them.
• Investment in new technologies has not kept pace with user needs.
• User requirements are increasingly shifting toward just-in-time delivery of goods (i.e., manufacturing and agriculture).

Additionally, new and far-reaching security challenges have emerged for the MTS since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Recognizing the need for continued improvements in the nation’s MTS, the President, in his 2004 U.S. Ocean Action Plan called for the creation of a cabinet-level interagency Committee on the Marine Transportation System to:

• Improve federal MTS coordination and policies;
• Promote the environmentally sound integration of marine transportation with other modes of transportation, as well as other ocean, coastal and Great Lakes uses;
• Develop outcome-based goals for the MTS and means to monitor progress;
• Coordinate federal annual budget requests and regulatory activities that impact the MTS and
• Recommend strategies and plans to maintain and improve the MTS.

The purpose of this Committee is to establish a partnership of the 18 Federal agencies with MTS mission responsibilities to ensure that the development and implementation of national MTS policies are consistent with national needs and report to the President its views and recommendations for improving the MTS. As a charter member, NOAA plays a very active role on this Committee.

NOAA’s Role in the Marine Transportation System
All of NOAA’s main line offices support the nation’s marine transportation systems:

• WHO AND WHAT BENEFITS FROM MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Maritime Commerce Homeland Security Emergency Responders Coastal Resource Managers Port Infrastructure (re)Development General Public Academia

  NOAA Ocean Service: The NOAA Ocean Service is responsible for: ocean technology research and development; the collection of hydrographic, shoreline and oceanographic data and observations; the analysis and production of navigation-related products, services, information, data and best practices; ensuring accessible, current, accurate data and relevant standards for integrated data sharing; delivery of mapping, charting, oceanographic products and services; facilitating environmentally sound port (re)development in partnership with other NOAA Line Offices; and providing customer support, education and regional/international outreach to navigation and non-navigation customers.
• NOAA National Weather Service: The NOAA National Weather Service is responsible for collecting marine weather data, which is then used in computer models to produce marine weather forecasts.
• NOAA Satellite and Information Service: The NOAA Satellite and Information Service is responsible for: ice data acquisition and delivery of ice nowcasts and forecasts; and data stewardship. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites provide a global view of what is going on at the surface of the oceans, and complement the measurements taken by ocean buoys and other marine observing systems. Some of the marine data satellite collect include sea surface temperature, sea surface heights, sea ice distribution and ocean color.
• NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations: The NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations is a critical partner responsible for providing observation platform (vessels and aircraft), cutting edge technology, data acquisition and processing support that is essential to MTS. NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations operates a wide assortment of hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries research vessels. NOAA vessels assist with marine transportation systems by supporting nautical charting, fisheries research, marine environmental assessments, coastal-ocean circulation studies and oceanographic and atmospheric research. The NOAA Commissioned Corps, the nation’s seventh and smallest uniformed service, supports the NOAA fleet and line offices by commanding NOAA’s research and survey vessels, flying NOAA’s (“hurricane hunter”) and environmental monitoring aircraft, supporting field operations, and serving in a variety of technical and management positions throughout the agency.
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service: The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service advises federal agencies on actions associated with the (re)development of port infrastructure that could affect endangered and threatened species, essential fish habitat or marine mammals.
• NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: NOAA Research conducts or supports research that cuts across a broad range of MTS issues, such as ballast water management technology, invasive species and dredging impacts to name a few. NOAA’s Sea Grant program also supports ports and harbors specialists who serve as focal coordinating points for expanding Sea Grant College Program activities on state and national ports and harbors, and related marine transportation issues.

NOAA’s marine transportation products and services:

• Provide critical information needed for a safe and efficient MTS,
• Assist in responding to marine emergencies,
• Ensure environmentally sound port facility (re)development and
• Provide outreach and education to increase the nation’s awareness of marine transportation issues.
  

Relevant Web Sites
Economic Statistics for NOAA (PDF) — Fourth Edition 2006

NOAA's Marine Navigation

About NOS: NOAA Commerce and Transportation Goal

NOAA’s Commerce and Transportation Goal requests for FY 2007

MARINE NAVIGATION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE NOAA OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY

150 YEARS OF TIDES ON THE WESTERN COAST: THE LONGEST SERIES OF TIDAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE AMERICAS

NOAA NAVIGATION SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES PROVIDED BY NOAA's NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

PORTS® TECHNOLOGY WORKING TO AVOID MARINE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

NOAA's TIDES ONLINE

NOAA’S HURRICANE ASSISTANCE SPANS MULTIPLE LEVELS – BEFORE, DURING AND EVEN AFTER THE STORM

NOAA STUDY SHOWS VALUE OF PORTS® PROGRAM TO MARINE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
Tampa Bay System Is First to Quantify Economic Benefits

Media Contact:
Ben Sherman, NOAA Ocean Service, (301) 713-3066 ext. 178