The data will feed into Coast Guard servers to improve environmental observations for the agency’s operational Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System.
Credit: USGS

We can all feel a little safer now when heading out on the water from Shem Creek and beyond – new data sets from NOAA give the Coast Guard the ability to track probable paths of victims and drifting survivor craft, thereby improving search and rescue efforts for the Coast Guard along the U.S. coast.

NOAA says the new data sets include surface current maps from high frequency radar systems. The technology measures speed and direction of ocean surface currents in near real time, which the Coast Guard can then use to guide its search and rescue operations with greater accuracy. The maps can also be used to support other scientific work, such as oil spill response, harmful algal bloom monitoring, and water quality assessments.

“The Coast Guard is continuously striving to enhance its Search and Rescue capabilities by obtaining the latest operational environmental products that NOAA has to offer. Better data means search efforts can be focused on smaller areas, saving more lives by allowing us to locate and assist distressed persons more quickly,” – Jack Frost, USCG’s Program Manager for SAROPS