This service provides a compilation of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) produced by the Canadian Hydrographic Service. All information provided by this service conforms to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Publication S-57. An ENC contains all the chart information useful for navigation, and may contain supplementary information in addition to that contained in the paper chart. This service is not for navigation.

The Office of Coast Survey (OCS) has been involved in the development of a NOAA Electronic Navigational Chart (NOAA ENC) suite to support the marine transportation infrastructure and coastal management for a number of years. The NOAA ENC will support all types of marine navigation by providing the official database for electronic charting systems (ECS), including the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). NOAA ENCs support real-time navigation as well as collision and grounding avoidance needs of the mariner, and accommodate a real-time tide and current display capability that is essential for large vessel navigation. NOAA ENCs will also provide fully integrated vector base maps for use in geographic information systems (GIS) that are used for coastal management or other purposes. The NOAA ENCs are in the International Hydrographic Office (IHO) S-57 international exchange format and comply with the ENC Product Specification.

A regular pattern of polygons that represent arbitrary delineations of an Operating Area (OPAREA). These data are a subset of the Navy's Common Operating Picture for the purpose of supporting ocean planning.

This layer shows coastal channels and waterways that are maintained and surveyed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These channels are necessary transportation systems that serve economic and national security interests. The possibility of silting is always present. Local authorities should be consulted for the controlling depth. NOAA Charts frequently show controlling depths in a table, which is kept current by the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners.

This data set contains vector polygons depicting anchorages; vector points depicting access, boat ramp, lock and dam, marine, port, and river mile locations; and vector lines depicting locations of shipping lanes in South Carolina. As a whole, the ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil, and include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. The entirety of the South Carolina ESI Human-Use data layers consists of: PARKS-MANAGED AREAS Polygons, Points; NAVIGATION-MARINE Polygons, Points, Lines; POLITICAL-JURISDICTIONAL Polygons, Points; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Polygons, Points; SOCECON Polygons, Points, Lines; and NATURAL HAZARD Polygons.

The Navigable Waterway Network Lines dataset is periodically updated by the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The National Waterway Network (Lines) is a comprehensive network database of the Nation's navigable waterways. The dataset covers the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and water links between. It consists of a line feature class of the National Waterway Network (NWN), which is based on a route feature class for the NWN update regions (“1” through “7”, as well as the open ocean region “0”) and route event table with linear referencing system measures for NWN links. This dataset is a feature class with associated measures (in miles) that are used for finding distances, locating features, and displaying route event layers. It was exported from this route event layer. The nominal scale of the dataset varies with the source material. The majority of the information is at 1:100,000 with larger scales used in harbor/bay/port areas and smaller scales used in open waters. These data could be used for analytical studies of waterway performance, for compiling commodity flow statistics, and for mapping purposes.

These data show the boundaries for select vessel routing measures in U.S. waters. These measures are part of an international ships routing system established by the IMO. Routing systems are systems of predetermined routes and related measures that are recommended for use by, and may be made mandatory for, all ships, certain categories of ships or ships carrying certain cargoes when adopted and implemented in accordance with the guidelines and criteria developed by the [IMO] and are designed to contribute to the safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation, and/or protection of the marine environment. SOLAS Chapter V, reg. 10, para. 1. For coastal and ocean planning. Not for navigation.

Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) are a navigation safety device that transmits and monitors the location and characteristics of many vessels in U.S. and international waters in real-time. In the U.S. the Coast Guard and industry collect AIS data, which can also be used for a variety of coastal planning purposes. NOAA and BOEM have worked jointly to re-task and make available some of the most important records from the U.S. Coast Guard's national network of AIS receivers. This dataset represents annual vessel transit counts summarized at a 100 m by 100 m geographic area. A single transit is counted each time a vessel track passes through, starts, or stops within a 100 m grid cell.

This data set contains vector polygons depicting locations for anchorages, vector lines depicting locations for shipping lanes and ferry routes, and vector points depicting locations for beach access locations, boat ramps, ferry locations, marinas, and ports in North Carolina. Location-specific type and source information are stored in associated data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set is a portion of the ESI data for North Carolina. As a whole, the ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil, and include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. See also the PARKS/MANAGED AREAS (POINTS and POLYGONS), NAVIGATION/MARINE (POINTS and POLYGONS), POLITICAL/JURISDICTIONAL (LINES and POLYGONS), RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (POINTS and POLYGONS), and NAT_HAZARD (POLYGONS) data layers for additional human-use information.

NOAA, National Ocean Service, Office of Coast Survey, Marine Chart Division is responsible to build and maintain a suite of more than 1000 nautical charts that are used by commercial and recreational mariners to navigate the United States and U. S. territory waters safely.A Nautical Chart is a graphic portrayal of the marine environment. They are used to lay out courses and navigate ships by the shortest and most economically safe route. They can also serve as base maps for resource management and shoreline development planning by state and local government.Charts depict the location of the shoreline, minimum water depths, aids to navigation, hazards to navigation, the nature and form of the coast, water depths, the general character and configuration of the sea bottom, the rise and fall of the tides, protected areas, and the characteristics of the Earth's magnetism.The suite of charts is compiled and maintained with data provided by federal, state, and private partners such as the National Ocean Service elements, United States Coast Guard, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Power Squadron Auxiliary, Port Authorities.The charts are currently available as Lithographically printed paper charts, Electronic Raster Nautical Charts (RNCs), up-to-date paper charts (printed with print on demand technology), and are now offered as Digital Vector Electronic Nautical Charts (ENC).The NOAA RNCs are electronic images of the NOAA paper charts. The NOAA RNCs were productized with a successful Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with private sector partner BSB Electronic Charts, a subsidiary of Maptech, Inc. Andover, Massachusetts. As of November 1, 2005 the NOAA RNC's are available for free download via the NOAA website.