NOAA Coastal Mapping Remote Sensing Data

The Remote Sensing Division is responsible for providing data to support the Coastal Mapping Program, Emergency Response efforts, and the Aeronautical Survey Program through the use of remotely sensed data. NOAA Coastal Mapping Remote Sensing Data includes metric-quality aerial photographs from film and digital cameras, orthomosaics, and Light Detection and Ranging (lidar). The predecessors to the Remote Sensing Division began using single-lens aerial photography in 1943. The single-lens and digital aerial photographs are maintained by the National Geodetic Survey. The applications include shoreline delineation, mapping water depths, topographic mapping, mapping seabed characteristics, locating features or obstructions to ensure the safety of marine and air navigation, and to support NOAA's homeland security and emergency response requirements. Orthomosaics and lidar data sets are available from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management's DigitalCoast. The National Geodetic Survey acquires remotely sensed data in the coastal realm including the Great Lakes and their connecting navigable waterways and select areas to support homeland security and emergency response.