reducing from 2 years to 6 months the time between data acquisition 

 and nautical chart dissemination. 



The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) is also continuing work 

 aimed at automating the cartographic capabilities of the 

 Hydrographic Center. An initial capability was achieved in August 

 1974 with full capability planned by 1977. DMA is supporting the 

 development of several systems that are designed to automate the 

 entire charting process from survey through chart production. A 

 recently developed Navy system will use a wide-swath, deep-ocean, 

 depth-sounding array that will, with automatic computer assist- 

 ance, provide in real time a countour strip chart of the ocean bottom 

 representing several miles in width. It was installed on board the test 

 ship USNS Wyman (TAGS 34] last year, and testing is scheduled to 

 begin during 1975. A Hydrographic Survey and Charting System 

 (HYSURCH) consisting of new high-speed boats, a buoy emplaced 

 navigation system, and an automated cartographic system aboard a 

 mother ship has been designed to obtain offshore bathymetry to 300 

 meters and to produce usable hydrographic information in 24 hours 

 and charts in 16 days. Testing is being undertaken on board the 

 USNS Harkness (TAGS 32). 



Activities in the Coastal Environment 



Demands and pressures on our coastal lands and resources have 

 risen steadily for many years. The problems thus engendered were 

 given explicit recognition in late 1972 with the passage of the Coastal 

 Zone Management Act. As a result of this legislation, strong coastal 

 zone management capabilities are now being development by the 

 states with Federal support provided by NOAA. Federal agencies 

 make the basic environmental data available to the States to assist 

 them in planning their development and protecting the marine 

 environment. 



NOAA and a number of other agencies also support regional 

 efforts contributing to coastal zone management and planning. EPA, 

 for example, began its program of regional planning project studies 

 of Monterey Bay, Calif., and Galveston Bay, Tex., and is expanding it 

 to other coastal regions. The majorpurpose of these planning studies 

 is to encourage conservation and environmentally optimum develop- 

 ment of estuarine water and land resources and to develop water 

 pollution control and abatement plans for estuarine basins and the 

 coastal zone. 



EPA's program of technical support provides assistance to State 

 agencies upon request. The technical support staff conducts surveys 

 of local pollution conditions, normally at the request of affected 

 States. These include surveys of polluted beaches and development 



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