# Presentation: 580317

## Coral Reef – Electronic Chart Initiative:Protecting Corals, Saving Ships 

- Kathryn L. Ries & Erich Frey
- Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
- Lee Alexander, CCOM-JHC, Univ. of New Hampshire

## Overview

- Office of Coast Survey, NOAA conducting a 4-year pilot project in FKNMS
- Convert existing coral reef maps to format suitable for use with electronic charts (i.e., Marine Information Objects (MIOs)
- MIOs to be based on international standards (both data and display)
- Meet IMO requirement and contribute to IHO  initiatives to incorporate critical marine habitat info into vessel navigation systems
- Will become basis for what is done worldwide

**Notes:**
This audience is very familiar with the core mission of my office which is primarily to promote safe navigation through the provision of hydrographic and charting products and services.   As you may also be aware, NOAA has significant responsibilities for the management and protection of marine and coastal resources. One of the agency’s major programs is to protect coral reefs.   Maritime accidents as well as routine ship operations (e.g., discharge and anchoring) can cause significant loss or injury to coral reefs, resulting in habitat damage that adversely impacts the tourism industry, and the communities that depend on coral reef sustainability for their livelihoods. Coral reefs are considered the “rain forests” of the sea, as they are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth, inhabited by 25% of all known marine species of fish.  

More than 40% of the world’s shipping commerce transits through the Florida Straits each year.  Since 1984, 10 large ship groundings have occurred in the Florida Keys and the Tortugas.  Coral reef damage by large ships anchoring has occurred at least 17 times since 1997.

The Florida Keys are the third largest barrier reef ecosystem in the world, and the only barrier reef ecosystem in the United States.  Recognizing the importance of this marine habitat, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), which is managed by NOAA in partnership with the State of Florida,  was officially designated as a PSSA on 13 November 2003..  Starting on 1 December 2002, ships greater than 50 meters (164 feet) in length are required to avoid transiting certain areas within the zone, and to comply with three no-nchoring areas.  

## Project Goals

- Bring critical coral habitat and other MPA information to mariner
- Enhance flow of geo-spatial info to/from conservation managers
- Develop/evaluate suitable data formats and symbology for corals and other MPA areas
- Ensure navigation safety; contribute to marine environmental protection

**Notes:**
In partnership with other NOAA offices involved in the Coral Reef Program, OCS is conducting a pilot project in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) to convert existing coral reef mapping data into a format suitable for use with maritime Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).  Specifically, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other marine GIS information will be converted into so-called Marine Information Objects (MIOs) conforming to International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) data standards. Key to the development of MIOs for coral reef areas, are determinations of what is the appropriate level of biological and regulatory information that should be provided to the mariner. 

The project goal is to strengthen marine resource conservation by bringing critical coral, MPA, and other marine environmental protection-related information to the mariner such that informed decisions can be made to avoid environmental degradation, as well as loss of life and property.    

This environmental geospatial information, typically used by the resource conservation or management community, has not traditionally been available in a readily accessible, user friendly format to the mariner.    One of the main objectives is to take enhance the flow of this information between and among these communities

This effort will also contribute to an initiative by both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IHO to introduce nautical chart symbology for corals and MPAs that can be implemented in other regions of the world.   

## Stakeholders

- Federal/State Government
- 	National Ocean Service, NOAA
- 	US Coast Guard
- 	US Geological Survey
- 	State of Florida / FKNMS SAC
- International Organizations
- 	International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- 	International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
- 	The World Conservation Union (WCU)
- 	World Resource Institute (WRI)
- 	UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)
- Maritime Industry
- 	International Council of Cruise Lines
- 	Caribbean Shipping Association
- 	American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)
- 	American Pilots Association (APA)
- Academia
- General Public

**Notes:**
An important aspect of the project is the involvement of the FKNMS and it’s Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC).  Based on the outcome of the 14 December 2004 Meeting of the FKNMS SAC, a Working Group is being formed to help determine: 
 	a) What coral reef areas and/or critical habitats with in the FKNMS warrant focus?
	b) What type of large vessel operations/activities are of particular concern?
	c) How should critical coral reef habitats be classified and used with paper and electronic charts ENCs?
	d) How should coral reef information be displayed on ECDIS?
	e) Who are the relevant stakeholders who should be encouraged to participate in the project?

A number of stakeholders who are interested in both safety of navigation and marine environmental conservation will be encouraged to become involved in the project.  This will likely include mariners, hydrographers, conservationists, scientists, and resource managers. 

## “Special Areas”

- IMO MARPOL 73/78 defined certain sea areas as “special areas”
- Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA)
- An area that needs special protection because of ecological, socio-economic, or scientific reasons
- International importance/recognition

**Notes:**
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Annexes I, II and V, of MARPOL 73/78 defines certain sea areas as "special areas" in which, for technical reasons relating to their oceanographic and ecological condition and to their sea traffic, the adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution is required. Under the Convention, these special areas are provided with a higher level of protection than other areas of the sea. 

A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is an area that needs special protection through action by IMO because of its significance for recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons and which may be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities. The criteria for the identification of particularly sensitive sea areas and the criteria for the designation of special areas are not mutually exclusive. In many cases a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area may be identified within a Special Area and vice versa. 

## PSSAs 

- Great Barrier Reef, Australia (1990)
- Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago, Cuba (1997)
- Malpelo Island, Colombia (2002)
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA (2002)
- Wadden Sea, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands (2002)
- Paracas National Reserve, Peru (2003)
- Nominated on 2004:
- Baltic Sea (except Russian waters)
- Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador
- Canary Isles Archipelago, Spain

**Notes:**
Currently, there are currently six designated PSSAs, worldwide: 

In 2004, three additional areas were nominated and await formal designation:

## Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)

-  Database of chart features
-   Produced in conformance to IHO S-57 Standards
-  Displayed on ECDIS using IHO S-52 colors and symbols
-   Software provides indications, warnings, & alarms by using “intelligent data”
-  chart is background for display of other navigation information, e.g.,
- Ownship
- Radar
- AIS
**MIOs**

- Bligh Reef, Prince William Sound, Alaska
- (site of EXXON VALDEZ grounding)

_**Indication/alarms**_
**1.  Crossing into**
**     ****separation scheme **
**2.  Crossing into**
**     ****inbound lane**
**3.  Crossing out of**
**     ****traffic scheme**
**4.  Crossing safety**
**     ****depth value – **

**Notes:**
ENC - A National Research Council report entitled “Charting a Course into the Digital Era” issued in 1995 stated  “Development, maintenance, certification, quality control, and evolution of a single digital nautical data base should be NOAA’s core mission in nautical charting ...”  Our vision in NOAA is to someday have all of our charting features in a database format and from that database to produce paper, raster, and vector products.  The ENC as a database is our way of accomplishing that goal.
An ENC is a database of chart features that conforms to a standard formulated and adopted by the International Hydrographic Organization.  All major Hydrographic Offices throughout the world have embraced ENCs as the standard for the development of vector charting databases.    Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) must be fueled by ENCs produced and authorized by the National Hydrographic Office (NOAA).

Software can use ENC data to issue warnings.  For example, based on a vessel’s course and speed, a computer can project where that vessel will be in 6 minutes.  Due to the intelligence of the ENC data, it can sample that location and know that the depth of water might be shallow and fall within the limits of a user-determined warning depth area.  The computer can issue warnings so the mariner can take appropriate action.  Electronic charting experts claim that 4 different warnings would have been issued to the captain of the Exxon Valdez if there were an electronic chart using this type of data aboard. 

NOAA has begun to create a suite of ENCs and should have about 215 completed by FY2002.  These initial ENCs should cover the 40 major commercial ports in the U.S.   We are continuing to work to complete a full suite of 1000 ENCs.  NOAA ENCs and more than digitized charts—they incorporate high accuracy source information of critical features like dredged channel limits, aids to navigation, etc.

In July 2001, NOAA made its first set of ENC’s available for free download from the Internet.  Between July 2001 and March 2002, over 90,000 cells have been downloaded.  It is NOAA’s view that making these data available on the Internet will allow stimulate the development of electronic charting software.  In addition, we feel that people will take this data, repackage it, and use it perhaps use it for other means such as base layers for GIS.  

## IMO-compliant ECDIS

- _ENC Definition_:
*“**all the chart information necessary for safe navigation and may contain **supplementary information** in addition to that contained in the paper chart which may be considered necessary for safe navigation.” *

## Marine Information Objects (MIOs)

- - Chart and navigation-related information that supplement the minimum information required by IMO ECDIS
- Additional, non-mandatory
- Not covered by existing standards (e.g., IHO S-57, IHO S-52, or IEC 61174)
- The “everything else”
- Points, lines, areas, features, objects

**Notes:**
Marine Information Objects (MIOs) are chart- and navigation-related information that supplement the minimum information required by an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).  As related to the use of Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) data, MIOs are additional, non-mandatory information not already covered by existing IMO, IHO, or International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards.  

This includes ice coverage, tide/water level, current flow, meteorological, oceanographic, and marine habitats.  Since the ENC Product Specification contained IHO S-57 Edition 3.0/3.1 is currently “frozen,” MIOs are an interim means to include important supplemental information.   Ideally, this process of “freezing” standards will no longer be necessary with the release of IHO S-57 Edition 4.0 (IHO 2004).  (there is a presentation later that discusses Edition 4.)

## Types of MIOs

- Tides / water levels
- Ice coverage
- Meteorological
- Oceanographic
- Marine Habitats
- Environmental Protection
- Archeological
- Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)
- and others TBD ...

## Goal for MIOs

- Supplemental information for “decision support”
- Right information for task-at-hand
- Voyage planning & route monitoring
- How displayed less important than data format and content
- Data _must be_ accurate, timely, and useable
- Display should be consistent in appearance

**Notes:**
The basic approach is to provide a supplemental layer of information (e.g., points, lines or areas) to be displayed in conjunction with existing electronic chart information.  Using this data, the electronic navigation equipment (e.g., GPS chart plotters or more advanced electronic chart systems) can be programmed to provide an indication or alarm indicating that there is something the mariner needs to be aware of or concerned about. 

## Two types of Electronic Charting Systems

- ECS - Electronic Chart System
- Anything other than ECDIS
- RTCM performance & ISO data standards
- Use a wide variety of EC data
- Intended for non-SOLAS vessels

- ECDIS - Electronic Chart Display and Information System
- IMO Performance Standards
- IHO data and display specifications
- IEC testing/certification reqmnts
- ECDIS has been accepted by IMO as suitable for meeting chart requirements of SOLAS.

**Notes:**

There are two types of Electronic Charting Systems:

ECDIS—Electronic Chart Display and Information System  

Accepted by IMO as suitable for meeting charting requirements of  ocean going or SOLAS vessels--uses official electronic charting data 

ECS—used by other smaller vessels (recreational and 
And uses a wide variety of Electronic Charting data from a variety of sources

## MIOs

**MIOs**

**Notes:**
Diagram of ECDIS components

Computer accesses the ENC database;  also can access information like GPS;
Information on vessel identification and positions (AIS) and additional information like MIOs.... 

## Slide 14

## PSSA Boundary

**ATBA**
**Boundary**

## Benthic Mapping

- www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/bhm/

**Notes:**

In 1998, NOAA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection produced a CD-ROM of the Benthic Habitats of the Florida Keys (NOAA 1998).  The Atlas contains color imagery and GIS files that describe and show the location of shallow seafloor habitats, such as coral reefs (See Figure 1).   This information is not currently useable with ENCs

In cooperation with the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping – Joint Hydrograhic Center (CCOM-JHC) at the University of New Hampshire, CARIS prepared a brief report on how this benthic habitat mapping data could be converted into IHO S-57 feature objects using CARIS HOM ENC software tools (Duguid 2004).  The process described in the report clearly indicates that ArcView  “Shapefile” data can be used to create IHO S-57 objects, but that further testing/refinement is needed to develop new IHO S-57 objects classes for coral reef habitats.  These new MIOs would also need to have suitable attributes to describe the different coral reef habitat designations, and for any other criteria related to regulated activities.  

Water Quality Monitoring
Seagrass can be used as a indicator for good water quality
Bathymetry data can be used to distinguish if the seagrass is expanding or contracting

## Slide 17

**Notes:**
This split screen (from MAPTECH?) shows how information from the same area can be displayed, but the color schemes are different.  For example the deep water on the left is portrayed as blue, on the right in the chart, it is shown as white.   Part of this project will be to determine how best to display the information, including what color scheme to use.

## Slide 18

**Notes:**
As shown if Figure 2, the FKNMS is over 3000 square nautical miles in area and extends from the Dry Tortugas National Park over 150 miles east to Biscayne National Park .  Starting on 1 December 2002, ships greater than 50 meters (164 feet) in length are required to avoid transiting certain areas within the zone, and to comply with three no-anchoring areas.  Key to the development of MIOs for coral reef areas, are determinations of what is the appropriate level of biological and regulatory information that should be provided to the mariner. 

## Florida Keys

- Coral Reef Habitats

## Coral Reefs

- FKNMS Boundary

- Coral Reefs

## ATBA

## FL Keys National

- Wildlife Refuge

## Coral Reef/FKNMS MIOs

## Coral Reef/FKNMS MIOs and ENC

## Project Phases

- Year 1 - ID existing biological and regulatory information in FKNMS [accomplished]
- - Determine appropriate level of content to use with electronic chart systems
- - Initiate stakeholder involvement  (via FKNMS/SAC)
-     - Begin MIO technical development: data formats/symbology/display
- Year 2 – Convert selected data into MIOs conforming to IHO S-57 data standards [ongoing]
- - Advance stakeholder consultation process
- 	- two SAC/WG Mtgs; report back to SAC
- 	- MPA Center now involved (MPA classif, display aspects, MPA info in Coast Pilot)
- 	- met with ICCL;  will participate in Pilot Project

**Notes:**
The primary goal of the project is to provide critical coral habitat and other marine environmental protection information to the maritime user to be used in conjunction with a variety of electronic charting systems.  Specifically, it will facilitate the integration of coral and other Marine Protection Area (MPA) information with Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) data that is required for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) that are installed onboard large, ocean-going vessels.   The ultimate product is really a service, an additional layer of information in a single database that the user will chose levels of detail to display.

The project will also contribute to an on-going initiative by NOAA to introduce nautical chart symbology for coral and MPAs suitable for international adoption and implementation.  The initial focus will be on large vessels since that is where national/international regulations are applicable, However, it is expected that this type of information will become widely available and used in conjunction with electronic navigation systems used by most commercial and recreational boaters.   Potentially, carriage and use of this information will become mandatory for some PSSAs or MPAs, particularly as it relates to permitted activities.

## SAC/Working Group Involvement

- What coral reef areas/critical habitats warrant focus?
- What type of large vessel operations/ activities are a concern?
- How should critical coral reef habitats be classified for use with electronic charts?
- How should coral reef info be displayed on ECDIS?
- Who are the relevant stakeholders who should be encouraged to participate?

## Project Phases (continued)

- Year 3 – Implement, test and evaluate MIOs with electronic chart manufacturers and user groups
- - Conduct demonstration using equipment installed on government & private vessels
- - Market to users
- - Identify other USA regions that warrant similar effort
- - Share experience internationally (Cuba, Belize, Australia)
- - Commence formal adoption of international standards
- Year 4 – Submit project results to IMO and IHO
- - Pursue formal adoption of international standards
- - Replicate project in other USA region
- - Work with World Bank and IMO GEF to replicate project internationally

**Notes:**
The primary goal of the project is to provide critical coral habitat and other marine environmental protection information to the maritime user to be used in conjunction with a variety of electronic charting systems.  Specifically, it will facilitate the integration of coral and other Marine Protection Area (MPA) information with Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) data that is required for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) that are installed onboard large, ocean-going vessels.   The ultimate product is really a service, an additional layer of information in a single database that the user will chose levels of detail to display.

The project will also contribute to an on-going initiative by NOAA to introduce nautical chart symbology for coral and MPAs suitable for international adoption and implementation.  The initial focus will be on large vessels since that is where national/international regulations are applicable, However, it is expected that this type of information will become widely available and used in conjunction with electronic navigation systems used by most commercial and recreational boaters.   Potentially, carriage and use of this information will become mandatory for some PSSAs or MPAs, particularly as it relates to permitted activities.

## Project Benefits

- Once produced, tested and evaluated, Coral Reef MIOs will:
- Supplement navigation safety-related info contained in ENCs & RNCs issued by NOAA
- Enable mariners to make informed decisions about what areas to avoid and/or prohibited activities
- Contribute to ongoing IMO and IHO initiatives related to PSSAs (and designation on charts)
- Facilitate maritime transportation/commerce while increasing mariner’s awareness of marine environmental protection

## Expected Outcomes

- Improved dialogue/coordination between data producers and users
- Increased awareness by maritime community of coral reefs and other MPAs
- Incorporation of marine info into vessel navigation systems
- Decreased risks of coral damage due to availability of critical info to make informed decisions
- Development of international standards for production and shipboard use of critical marine habitat information
- Overall:  Reduce damage to ships and marine
- 		   environment

## Points of Contact

- Project Manager:
- 	Katie Ries, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
- Project Coordinator:
- 	Erich Frey, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
- Technical Advisor:
- 	Dr. Lee Alexander, University of New Hampshire