Naval Oceanographic Office The Naval Oceanographic Office ( NAVOCEANO ) , located at John C . Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi , comprises approximately 1 , 000 civilian , military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense . History . In 1830 , the U . S . Navy established the Depot of Charts and Instruments maintain a supply of navigational instruments and nautical charts for issue to naval vessels . It soon became apparent that the Depot would be unable to obtain and maintain an adequate supply of the latest data unless it undertook production of charts from its own surveys . In 1837 , the first survey sponsored by the Depot and led by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes resulted in four engraved charts published for use by the U . S . Navy . Lieutenant Wilkes continued his surveying and gained fame as leader of the U . S . Exploring Expedition . The expedition ranged over the eastern Atlantic to Antarctica , the coasts of both Americas , and far into the west and southwest Pacific . It began the U . S . collection of world magnetic data and contributed substantially to hydrographic , meteorological , botanical and geological knowledge of the explored regions . During the succeeding five years , 87 similar charts were published and issued from the results of surveys by Wilkes and his officers . These individual surveys , however , were limited in scope ; the Depot needed a way to gather information quickly on a worldwide basis . Naval officer Matthew Fontaine Maury , who became known as " The Pathfinder of the Seas " , supplied the answer to this dilemma . Commander Maury , who held the position of Hydrographer of the Navy from 1842 - 1861 , is credited with founding the science of oceanography . His system for collecting and using oceanographic data revolutionized navigation of the seas . Maury assumed command of the Navy ' s Depot of Charts and Instruments in 1842 . Possessing an active , scientific mind , he immediately recognized possibilities for expanding the services of the Depot . He suggested that , if all shipmasters would submit reports of their experiences to a central agency , the data could be digested , compiled and published for the benefit of all . This idea became the basic formula of hydrographic offices throughout the world , making Maury ' s contributions a milestone in naval oceanography . Within five years , 26 million reports poured into the Depot , which originally had been intended only as a storehouse of charts and instruments . In 1854 , the agency was given the official name of The U . S . Naval Observatory and Hydrographical Office . In 1866 , an Act of Congress separated the two functions , establishing the Hydrographic Office as a distinct activity . By this time the Office ' s mission had expanded to include " the carrying out of surveys , the collection of information and the printing of every kind of nautical chart or publication . " The Office continued to grow throughout the nineteenth century . By the turn of the century , pleasure cruises had become a popular form of vacationing , and suddenly the attention of the world was drawn to a new danger to navigation - ice . The collision of the Titanic with an iceberg in 1912 prompted the Hydrographic Office to urge that an ice patrol be established to document sea - ice hazards to prevent such disasters . This was the beginning today ' s sophisticated , high - tech methods of surveying , measuring and recording ice thickness , ice - ridge profiles and other characteristics to monitor ocean - ice conditions above and below the surface . Because features and conditions of the world ' s oceans are constantly changing , surveying , charting and mapping must be continuous processes . Experiences during World War I showed the need for greater accuracy for oceanographic data . By 1922 , responding to these needs , the Navy had developed the first practical sonic sounding machine , making it possible to surpass all previous efforts in deep - sea sounding and bathymetric chart ing . Aerial photography was used for the first time that year . Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , the demands for charts increased to about 40 times the normal pre - war rate . The Hydrographic Office was moved to more adequate facilities at Suitland , Maryland , about from the nation ' s Capitol building , and was placed under the cognizance of the Chief of Naval Operations to focus activities directly to programs of national security . Additional survey vessels were obtained , each equipped to conduct surveys and to produce printed charts aboard ship in a minimum of time to keep up with fleet advances across the Pacific . At the peak of World War II , 43 million charts were printed and issued in one year . The Hydrographic Office was redesignated the U . S . Naval Oceanographic Office ( NAVOCEANO ) in 1962 , and in 1976 the Office was relocated to the National Space Technology Laboratory ( NSTL ) , which is now known as the John C . Stennis Space Center , in south Mississippi . Organization . NAVOCEANO oversees the Naval Ice Center in Suitland , Maryland , and the Fleet Survey Team at Stennis Space Center , Mississippi . NAVOCEANO is the largest subordinate command under the Commander , Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command , which is also located at Stennis Space Center . Ships . NAVOCEANO ' s seven oceanographic ships are operated by the Military Sealift Command . Currently , the McDonnell is out of commission . Perhaps the hardest working ships in the Navy , the oceanographic survey ships have no homeport and are forward - deployed , surveying the ocean 365 days every year . To avoid interrupting continuous operations , oceanographers from NAVOCEANO relieve their fellow surveyors by flying to locations around the world to meet the ship . T - AGS 60 Class . NAVOCEANO has operational control of six T - AGS 60 class ships : , , , , and . The T - AGS 60 class ships were designed and constructed to provide multipurpose oceanographic capabilities in coastal and deep - ocean areas for NAVOCEANO . On board , surveyors are equipped to conduct physical , chemical and biological oceanographic operations ; multidisciplinary environmental investigations ; ocean engineering and marine acoustics ; marine geology and geophysics ; and bathymetric , gravimetric and magnetometric surveying . Typical missions of the T - AGS 60 vessels may include oceanographic sampling and data collection of surface water , mid - water and ocean floor parameters ; the launch and recovery of small boats known as hydrographic survey launches ( HSLs ) ; the launching , recovering and towing of scientific packages ( both tethered and autonomous ) including the handling , monitoring and servicing of remotely operated vehicles ( ROVs ) ; shipboard oceanographic data processing and sample analysis ; and precise navigation , trackline maneuvering and station - keeping to support deep - ocean and coastal surveys . T - AGS 50 Class . NAVOCEANO formerly operated one coastal hydrographic T - AGS 50 class ship , . At a length of 208 feet , USNS " McDonnell " was slightly smaller than the T - AGS 60 class ships . She was capable of collecting hydrographic data on all headings in seas with wave heights up to 9 feet and could launch and recover two HSLs and other survey equipment in seas up to 4 feet . She has been decommissioned while a new ship is being built .