Marine & Coastal Spatial Data Subcommittee
Annual Report
Federal Geographic Data Committee
Bathymetric Subcommittee
1995 Annual Accomplishment Report and 1996 Planned Activities
Summary: The Bathymetric Subcommittee held 4 meetings in
1995. Three of these meetings were held in the Washington D.C. area and
the other was held in Tampa, FL in conjunction with the Coastal Zone-95
Conference. The major effort of the committee was focused upon reviewing
the standard for hydrographic surveying (S-44) proposed as a national
bathymetric surveying standard for data accuracy. Efforts were begun to
implement the FGDC metadata standard for bathymetric data, the Data Clearinghouse,
and coastal GIS Framework Data set. We are also involved in coordinating
various data digitizing efforts and developing procedures for the exchange
of digital bathymetric and hydrographic data.
Proposed activities for 1996
Each member of the Bathymetric Subcommittee was requested
to submit the three highest priority tasks they feel the subcommittee
should undertake during 1996. The following is a summary of these activities
into 3 general categories. Following this is the itemized (non priority)
listing as submitted from each agency.
- Develop Bathymetric SC Home Page to become a FGDC Clearinghouse
Node.
Content is planned to include:
Data Sources
Planned hydro/bathy acquisition
Status of digitizing projects
Pointers to other sources of bathy data
Link to FGDC Home Page
Incorporate Bathymetric "Drop-Box" from the USGS
- Standards -- complete the S-44 standard for hydrographic surveys
and submit to FGDC for approval. Produce a SDTS profile for "Nautical
Chart" data based upon the S-57 IHO standard work on HYDRO/BATHY Nautical
Charting metadata files. Participate on the Standards WG, data model,
and review of other FGDC Standards.
- Pursue ways to access 2nd and 3rd party bathymetric and Nautical
Charting data, collected by state, local governments and private industry
-- monitor developments with FGDC framework pilot projects. Actively
participate in the South Florida and San Francisco Bay demonstration
projects. Building a coastal data base for bathymetric and nautical
charting data. Continue to serve as the "liaison" between FGDC and
D.M.A. HYSAS development to assure common data models, formats and
feature/object definitions.
-
The following is a unedited, unconsolidated list of
those activities that members of the FGDC Bathymetric Subcommittee
requested to be undertaken in 1996
The following agencies submitted items: US COE, D.M.A.,
NOAA, MMS, EPA.
Results of the FGDC Bathymetric SC's 3-idea request
Individual Ideas:
- Continue efforts to have data from diverse sources officially
accepted and categorized as subsets of acceptable bathymetric
data
- Establish networks (or working groups) connecting metadata
users and metadata software developers; have reports from them
on problems/solutions they have discovered presented at bathy
subcommittee meetings
- On the Bathy SC WWW site create two links: 1. to the Bathy
Drop box and 2 to a site where reports of new small data sets
are kept. Designate someone responsible for both of these files.
- Compile and distribute a common list of hydrographic/bathymetric
surveys that are planned for the next 1-5 years
- Shoreline needs to be included in the FGDC Process either as
a separate subcommittee or as part of the bathy sc
- Old historic bathy data, charts, t-sheets, H-sheets, photographs
are extremely valuable. We need to make sure that these archives
are maintained and protected in these trying times.
- Create and maintain a bathymetric home page.
- Incorporate the Bathy "Drop Box" into the Bathy Home Page
- Facilitate acceptance of diverse data
- Meet every 4-months. Focus on 1-2 agency programs each meeting
to coordinate bathy type issues
- Help DX-90 - SDTS Standard Harmonizing and adoption as a FIPS
- Adopt/Accept IHO Accuracy Standard
- Establish and Maintain Bathy Home Page
- Expand charter to include all the geographic/spatial data concerns
offshore, including the shoreline
- Give presentations of agency programs
- Schedule and hold "regular" meetings
- Provide HYSAS derived metadata format to committee members
for review, with the objective of submission to FGDC as a "Standard"
- Understand the difference between DX-90 and VPF to press for
translator development
- Determine the role of NGDC in actively pursuing near coastal
hydro data from coastal states and universities and local authorities
- Access to letter reports (CGA, PS, LNM, other sources) to supplement
sounding data in shallow water areas. How to evaluate?
- Digital Archive of Hard Copy Maps? How?
- Expand mission of SC to "hydrographic" (most features on nautical
charts)
- Lead efforts (coordinate, etc) to make DX-90 a FIPS 173 profile
including features, translators, etc.
- Continue to coordinate S-44 Accuracy standards among all Feds
- Begin effort to coordinate ECDIS issues (ECDIS standards, data
format, translator, work with private sector, etc) across Fed.
and with private sector, etc.
- Coordinate hydrographic and geographic/spatial data including
anything found on the nautical chart so that we can standardize
content, format and accuracy of that information.
- Get involved in the evaluation and definition of standards
used by international organizations for hydrographic information.
- Develop a WWW Home Page.
