Charting a Course Into the Digital Era -- Copyright -- PREFACE -- BACKGROUND -- COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY -- HOW THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED -- ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- REFERENCE -- Contents -- CHARTING A COURSE INTO THE DIGITAL ERA -- GUIDANCE FOR NOAA'S NAUTICAL CHARTING MISSION -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -- 1 OVERVIEW OF THE NAUTICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM -- THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT -- NOAA'S NAUTICAL CHARTING MISSION -- Federal Data Activities -- FORCES OF CHANGE -- Changes in User Needs for Information -- The Impact of Technology -- PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS LIMITING CHANGE -- Limited Resources -- Concerns About Liability and Copyright -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 2 USER NEEDS FOR NAUTICAL INFORMATION -- A SURVEY OF USER NEEDS -- SUMMARY OF THE SURVEY -- Questionnaire Findings -- WORKSHOP ON USER NEEDS -- WORKSHOP FINDINGS -- Repeated Themes -- Common Needs -- Needs of Specific Users -- FUTURE NEEDS -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 3 FILLING THE DATA BASE: DATA COLLECTION -- CURRENT DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITIES -- Requests for New Charts -- Requests for New Surveys -- DATA COLLECTION NEEDS AND VALUES -- Setting Priorities -- SOLUTIONS TO THE SURVEY REQUEST BACKLOG -- Private Contract Surveys to Supplement NOAA Capabilities -- Interagency Collaborative Efforts -- NOAA Use of Corps of Engineers Survey Resources -- NOAA Use of Corps of Engineers Contract Forces -- NOAA Use of Department of Defense Survey Forces -- U.S. Geological Survey -- Retaining a Federal Hydrographic Survey Capability -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 4 THE DIGITAL NAUTICAL DATA BASE: FROM PAPER CHARTS TO ELECTRONIC CHARTS AND BEYOND -- STEWARDSHIP OF THE NATIONAL NAUTICAL INFORMATION DATA BASE -- OVERVIEW OF ANCS II -- PLANS FOR LOADING THE ANCS II DATA BASE -- SETTING A NEW COURSE -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES.

5 NAUTICAL INFORMATION AS A COMPONENT OF A MARINE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM -- INFORMATION FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT -- EXAMPLES OF GIS APPLICATIONS TO COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT -- MEETING USER REQUIREMENTS -- BEYOND THE DIGITAL NAUTICAL DATA BASE -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 6 NAUTICAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND THEIR DISSEMINATION: TOWARD A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS -- THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION -- NOAA Products -- Commercial Products -- Distribution of Products -- SHORTCOMINGS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM -- A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVEMENT -- SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY -- Institutional Arrangements -- Product Lines -- Small-Craft Chart Products -- Commercial Vessel Chart Products -- Digital Nautical Chart and Information Products -- Navy Products -- Products for Other Users -- Legal Issues -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 7 RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS: REMOVING THE BARRIERS -- RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS -- Surveying and Data Acquisition -- Data Processing and Data-Base Maintenance -- Production and Dissemination -- ALTERNATIVES FOR RESOLUTION OF RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS -- Revenue Retention/Improved Incentives Through Product Partnerships -- NOAA Copyright on Nautical Charts -- Noncopyright Revenue Retention -- Cooperative Research and Development Agreements -- License Fees and Private Copyright -- Other Considerations -- Contract Surveys -- Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- CHANGING NEEDS FOR NAUTICAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- SURVEY ACTIVITIES -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- DATA-BASE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- CHART PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- RESOURCES FOR NOAA'S NAUTICAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- IMPLEMENTING CHANGE -- APPENDIXES.

APPENDIX A BIOGRAPHIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS -- APPENDIX B OTHER AGENCIES, ACTIVITIES, ROLES, INTERESTS -- The Defense Mapping Agency -- The U.S. Navy -- The Defense Hydrographic Initiative -- Army Corps of Engineers -- The U.S. Coast Guard -- The Maritime Administration -- The U.S. Geological Survey -- APPENDIX C-1 NAUTICAL CHART AND INFORMATION SURVEY -- Nautical Chart and Information Survey -- APPENDIX C-2 RESPONSES TO SURVEY -- APPENDIX D WORKSHOP ON THE FUTURE NEEDS OF USERS FOR NAUTICAL INFORMATION -- LIST OF PARTICIPANTS -- Committee Members -- Liaisons -- Invited Guests -- Staff -- APPENDIX E PRINCIPLES OF BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS APPLIED TO SURVEYS -- Evaluating a Single Survey -- Prioritizing Among Multiple Surveys -- Suggestions for Implementation -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX F U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS' EXPERIENCE -- Brooks Act (P.L. 92-582) Contracting -- Standards for Data Collection in Contract Surveys -- Cost Comparison Between Government and Commercial Hydrographic Surveys -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX G EXAMPLES OF USES OF DATA BY STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES -- GIS APPLICATIONS IN FLORIDA'S COASTAL ZONE -- Site Selection for Testing of Explosives -- Marine Mammal Research -- Boat and Diver Use Patterns in the Florida Keys -- Fisheries Management -- Oil Spill Planning and Response -- GIS APPLICATIONS IN ALASKA'S COASTAL ZONE -- GIS APPLICATION TO COASTAL CHANGE STUDIES IN LOUISIANA -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX H A NATIONAL COASTAL ZONE (SHORELINE) DATA BASE.